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Blog → January 5, 2022

U.S. Operation Allies Welcome Webinars: DHS Briefing & How You Can Help

Operation Allies Welcome
Afghan evacuees waiting to get on a chartered bus for new destinations (credit: DHS.gov)

As of 31 December 2021, more than 52,000 Afghan evacuees have been resettled in communities across the country. These resettlement efforts are led by the Department of State in close coordination with more than 290 local resettlement affiliates. The remaining approximately 22,500 vulnerable Afghans await resettlement at 5 military bases in the U.S. They all need our help.

Briefing on Department of Homeland Security Operation Allies Welcome Afghan Resettlement- How Can You Help?

Thursday, January 6, 2022 1-2pm EST

The Department of Homeland Security Operation Allies Welcome Unified Coordination Group is hosting a briefing all those with an interest in helping our Afghan allies resettle providing an overview of the resettlement process and the opportunities available to assist. The briefing will take place on Thursday, January 6, from 1pm to 2pm Eastern. During this call, we will cover the various ways available to assist with Afghan resettlement. No RSVP is needed. Just join through the link or phone numbers provided below. Presenters will include subject matter experts from:

  • the Department of Homeland Security’s Private Sector Office,
  • the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Refugee Resettlement,
  • the Department of State’s Bureau of Population Refugees and Migration,
  • the Department of Housing and Urban Development, and
  • Welcome.US

You may submit questions in advance by emailing DHS Impact: [email protected] by Wednesday, January 5, at Noon Eastern. Please add “Briefing on Afghan Resettlement” in the subject line.

Microsoft Teams meeting Join on your computer or mobile app Click here to join the meeting

Or call in (audio only)+1 202-516-6093„715997937# United States, Washington DCPhone Conference ID: 715 997 937#

Note to media: This engagement is not for press purposes. Please contact the DHS Office of Public Affairs at [email protected] for any media inquiries.


Welcome to the Neighborhood Part 5: Supporting Local Education Agencies in Resettlement

January 19 at 2:00 pm ET RSVP Today

For our Afghan allies and their families, there is an immediate and urgent need for providing high-quality, culturally responsive education to newcomer Afghan students as they move from safe havens into destination communities. Faith-based and community organizations are uniquely positioned to support local education agencies in the resettlement process. The White House Office of Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Education invite you to a webinar that will provide resources and tools you can utilize in your community. The webinar will include representatives U.S. Department of Education sharing how groups can get involved and tools to support that involvement. Check out the Parts 1-4 for the Welcome to the Neighborhood Webinar SeriesIn case you missed any of them, the first four webinars in the Welcome to the Neighborhood Webinar Series are available below.

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What would you do if you had to leave everything behind?

By the end of 2024, more than 123.2 million people worldwide had been forcibly displaced from their homes due to war, persecution, or human rights abuses.

An increase of 7.2 million over 2023, that’s more than 19,619 people every day — roughly one person every 4.4 seconds.

They arrive in refugee camps and other countries, like the US, seeking the one thing they’ve lost: safety.

Fleeing political imprisonment, ethnic violence, religious persecution, gang threats, or war crimes, they come with what little they managed to carry:

Legal papers – if they’re lucky.

A single backpack.

Sometimes a child’s hand in theirs.

They also carry the weight of what they left behind: fractured families, homes they’ll never return to, professions they loved, friends and relatives they may never see again.

They carry loss most of us can’t imagine – but also the truth of what they’ve endured.

At TSOS, we believe stories are a form of justice. When someone shares their experience of forced displacement, they reclaim their voice. And when we amplify that voice – through film, photography, writing, and advocacy – the world listens. Hearts soften. Communities open. Policy begins to shift.

That shift matters. Because when neighbors understand instead of fear…

when lawmakers see people, not politics…

when a teacher knows what her student has survived…

Rebuilding life from the ashes becomes possible.

We’re fighting an uphill battle. In today’s political climate, refugee stories are often twisted or ignored. They’re reduced to statistics, portrayed as national threats, or used to score political points.

The truth – the human, nuanced truth – gets lost, and when it does, we lose compassion.

We are here to share their truth anyway.

At TSOS, we don’t answer to headlines or algorithms. We are guided by a simple conviction: every person deserves to be seen, heard, and welcomed.

Our work is powered by the people we meet — refugees and asylum seekers rebuilding after loss, allies offering sanctuary, and communities daring to extend belonging.

Your support helps us share their stories — and ensure they’re heard where they matter most.

“What ultimately persuaded the judge wasn’t a legal argument. It was her story.”

— Kristen Smith Dayley, Executive Director, TSOS


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