From the Summer 2022 Local Harvest Newsletter.
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Bilal and his parents, along with his two siblings, say they have received many kindnesses since arriving as refugees in Kansas City, Kan. Among them: being given halal food shortly after their arrival.

The family fled from extreme conditions in Afghanistan less than a year ago, and they are full of gratitude for the way friends like you have welcomed them and made them feel at home.

“It’s like we’re born new,” says Bilal, who moved to the area with his father, Muhammad, and mother, Mashuta.

Catholic Charities of Northeast Kansas, a partner agency of Harvesters, helped the family settle in, and arranged for them to receive halal food boxes through Harvesters — halal means that the food is prepared according to Muslim law.

“There was a box that was written ‘halal food’,” Bilal recalls of their arrival to their new home. “That was a good experience that we got that food, and we can eat like we are at home.”

The family now has a home in our community and Bilal has since started a job, with further hopes to continue studies he started in Afghanistan to become a doctor. They want to share a heartfelt thank you to friends like you for making their transition so much easier, and for giving them a fresh, new start.

“You do everything the way you would do it for your family,” Bilal says to donors like you. “We are very happy for it.”

Thank you for helping make sure our neighbors of all faiths and backgrounds have nutritious food on the table. It is an honor to partner with you.

If you would like to help other families in need, please consider giving here.

See more of Bilal’s story below.