Children wait for snacks at Camp Atterbury on Thursday, Oct. 14, 2021.
Submitted photo | Indianapolis Star
Federal officials say a rumor regarding monthly cash benefits for Afghan refugees at Camp Atterbury is untrue and shared a new way to give back.
False information has been shared around the internet regarding cash payments of $1,000 to Afghans awaiting resettlement. However, only a fraction of Afghans receive any monetary compensation while on the base.
Some Afghans who previously worked as interpreters at the U.S. embassy in Afghanistan have been tapped to help Afghans who don’t speak much English get the services they need while at the base. The interpreters receive a stipend for their work, said Mark Howell, a public affairs officer for Operation Allies Welcome.
However, most of the 7,000 Afghans at the base are depending on help from the government and donations from the public for their basic necessities, Howell said. Afghans receive three meals per day, shelter and healthcare provided by the U.S. government and donations of clothing, toiletries and other items provided by the public, he said.
Afghans are eligible for many types of assistance following their parole from bases around the country but they don’t receive those services until after they are resettled, Howell said.
Those benefits include cash assistance, medical assistance, employment preparation, job placement, English language training, and other services offered through the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR). Those benefits would last between eight months and five years after resettlement, depending on each parolee’s situation, a document from the ORR says.
Parolees may also be eligible for other federal benefits such as cash assistance through Supplemental Security Income (SSI) or Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), health insurance through Medicaid, and food assistance through Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), depending on their situation, ORR says.
With winter coming, Afghans are in need of coats, winter shoes and warm clothing as many will remain at Camp Atterbury for several more months. More Afghans are expected to arrive at the base from Europe and the Middle East to replace those who are leaving for resettlement.
The Salvation Army Indiana Division announced last week the organization was donating 1,600 coats, but that does not come close to covering needs at the base.
Indiana National Guard is still gathering donations at nine bases across the state, while Team Rubicon is gathering donations at the Johnson County Park Amphitheater.
Local businesses and organizations around Johnson County and Johnson County Public Library branches are all gathering donations for refugees.
Families with children make up the majority of those being housed at Camp Atterbury and about 40% of those at the base are children. Winter clothing and shoes for all ages, along with baby items and formula, are the biggest needs.
Another way to help Afghans is by becoming a sponsor.
The State Department launched the Sponsor Circle program this week, creating an opportunity for organizations or neighborhood groups to volunteer to help resettle Afghans in their community.
“The Sponsor Circle Program for Afghans harnesses this outpouring of support and enables individuals to become directly involved in the welcome and integration of our new neighbors. In addition to centering communities in welcoming new arrivals, the Sponsor Circle Program expands the capacity to resettle arriving Afghans, complementing the work of the State Department’s non-profit resettlement agency partners,” U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said in a statement on the program. “This program showcases the powerful role that individuals can play in coming together to welcome and integrate Afghans into American society, reflecting our spirit of goodwill and generosity.”
Sponsor Circles would provide financial support and initial resettlement services to Afghan newcomers for the first 90 days after they arrive in a local community. These services include securing housing, providing for basic necessities, assisting with access to federal, state, and local benefits, and providing initial orientation to the local community, Blinken said in the statement.
For more information on the program visit sponsorcircles.org.
