Waterloo Times

Lutheran Services in Iowa is one of nine official national resettlement organizations that work with the federal Office of Refugee Resettlement and provides immediate resettlement to Afghan Refugees to new homes across Iowa.

The company will be providing a variety of services to refugees that arrive from Afghanistan, including mental health, financial planning and finding accommodations. 

Following the U.S. withdrawal of military forces from Afghanistan, refugees from the war-torn country have been arriving by the thousands. The U.S. government is seeking expedited resettlement plans for refugees, but there are many to help and much of this work relies on the charity and assistance of organizations such as Lutheran Services in Iowa. 

Lutheran Services in Iowa and more organizations are answering the call, rounding up resources to help refugees and make settlement plans for refugees. 

The process, as Bethany Kohoutek, vice president of marketing and communications for Lutheran Services in Iowa, can be complicated, time-consuming and costly. 

"If you are wondering about the U.S. resettlement process, UNHCR (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees) has a great overview here," Kohoutek told Waterloo Times. "Some individuals evacuated from Afghanistan are arriving via different government processes, including the Humanitarian Parole process, which are explained here."

And that's just the beginning. The procedure is complicated and hard to understand without the guidance of a partner like Lutheran Services in Iowa. 

"After Afghan immigrants arrive in Iowa, staff and interpreters from LSI or another resettlement agency meet them at the airport and transport them to an apartment that has been furnished with basic household and personal items — the things they need to get started," she said.

Kohoutek also touched on what refugees can expect as far as accommodations until they are able to find a more permanent residence. 

"If an apartment is not ready yet, some arrivals may stay in an Airbnb or extended stay hotel while their apartment is prepared," she said.

The work, she said, is vital to the fabric of the community and is well worth doing. 

"It takes a community to wrap our arms around newcomers," she said when asked about the support that her organization needs to continue helping the refugees. "Community members can volunteer in a variety of roles, can donate Welcome Boxes, household items or financial gifts to support this work. All of these opportunities can be found at LSIowa.org/resettlement."