REFUGEE AND IMMIGRANT SERVICES

Helping refugees and immigrants successfully integrate into their new communities.

Client Story

Atifa rescued girls and fled Afghanistan. Then she found safety with LCSNW’s legal help.

Every Afghan woman who lives under Taliban rule must endure a daily trial of repression, violence and trauma. Just leaving home without a man or walking alone in a public park is forbidden.

Atifa knows all about this harsh reality, having grown up in a remote part of Northern Afghanistan. But Atifa would not accept this fate for herself, her family, friends or other women. Her resistance – and her connections to Western human rights groups -- made her a target for the Taliban’s wrath.

That’s why Atifa fled with family members to the United States and settled in Vancouver, Washington. Atifa, her husband and her three siblings sought asylum and eventually found it with the help of Safe Route Immigration, LCSNW’s legal advocacy program.

“Seeking asylum is a very long and tricky process. We couldn’t have done it without support from the Safe Route Immigration team,” Atifa said. “We were so glad to have them with us.”

“I was honored to work with Atifa, an Afghan woman who put her own life in danger to better the lives of other Afghan women,” said Dina Lovenstein, a Safe Route staff attorney. “During the chaotic mass evacuation of Afghanistan, Atifa and her family had to make the impossible decision to leave everything behind in search of safety and freedom in the United States.”

Atifa’s asylum case was based on a deep fear of persecution by the Taliban regime. Her resistance to the extremist ideology was a product of her education and upbringing. Despite societal pressures, she moved to India to attend college. After returning home, she worked with organizations promoting women's rights, education, and community development.

In August 2021, she helped evacuate 200 girls from Afghanistan. It was the height of the U.S. troop withdrawal, as airports teemed with crowds and were rocked by nearby explosions. Atifa’s family and the rest of their group waited weeks to get out, unable to go home – “we were just stuck in the middle of nowhere” -- before they were allowed to fly to a U.S. military base in Qatar.

Today Atifa works as a human resources and payroll specialist for a childcare and early-learning nonprofit. With Safe Route’s help, she and her family members applied for their green cards in 2024. Now they’re living together in Vancouver, waiting eagerly to become lawful permanent U.S. residents. And yet they’ve already come so far.

“We are safe here, and we are happy,” Atifa said.

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REFUGEE & IMMIGRANT SERVICES

SAFE ROUTE IMMIGRATION

Staff Profile

Olena Zahrebelna

Olena came to the United States in 2023 after fleeing war in her homeland of Ukraine. The next year, she was hired as an Employment Specialist at our Multicultural Community Services (MCS) office in Portland. Today, Olena has already made a significant impact helping fellow Ukrainians find jobs and achieve self-sufficiency.

MCS Language & Employment Services often sees clients facing language barriers and unfamiliarity with the American job market and employment practices. In her role, Olena assists with creating resumes and cover letters, job searching, interview preparation, and providing interpretation services when needed.

Olena’s dedication extends beyond job placement; she remains in communication with clients for an additional six months, regularly checking in to ensure their continued success. Knowing how hard her clients are working to find employment and provide for their families, Olena is committed to making herself available as much as possible; she encourages clients to call, email, or text when they need support. The best calls, she says, are the ones her clients make to inform her of their new job offer.

Outside work, Olena cherishes family time and playing with her two children.

Volunteer Profile

Joy Bradley

If you have ever listed household items on Facebook Marketplace in the greater Vancouver, Washington area, you may have met Joy. She spends a lot of time on Marketplace, perusing listings for couches, coffee tables, dining tables, art and other items that make a house a home.

She’s shopping not for herself. Not for her family. But for LCSNW clients — refugee families who have recently arrived from countries where their lives were at risk.

“I want (LCSNW clients) to know the items they are receiving for their first home here in the U.S. were selected with thought and care, and attention to detail,” Joy said.

Joy began this volunteer work soon after retiring from a 36-year teaching career. She retired at the end of the 2021 school year. Barely two months later, a humanitarian crisis unfolding in Afghanistan inspired her to help.

LCSNW added her to the group of volunteers welcoming new arrivals from Afghanistan and elsewhere. Joy, her husband Mark, and members of their Baptist Church welcome team have helped with airport pick-ups, transportation to health appointments, and navigation through medical care, among other things.

“It is a great honor to see them grow, with guidance and support in learning American systems, into self-sufficiency,” Joy said.

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