肯尼斯和阿迪·马丁内斯与他们6个月大的儿子和3岁大的女儿在西雅图郊外的家中有一间额外的卧室。
所以当马丁内兹一家看了数万人逃离阿富汗上个月，随着塔利班的接管，他们开始提供帮助。
马丁内兹一家向一个四口之家开放了他们的额外卧室，他们离开阿富汗时所有的东西都装在几个袋子里。这位母亲怀了第三个孩子。
“他们(告诉我们)他们在飞机上，这时他们的一个朋友联系了他们，说塔利班来了，”阿迪·马丁内斯说。“我很确定他们的航班是混乱开始前最后离开的航班之一。”
在过去的一个月里，这两个来自世界不同地方的家庭已经同化了，他们一起生活和烹饪，看着他们的孩子一起玩耍，即使他们说不同的语言。马丁内兹一家已经帮助这个家庭适应了西雅图的生活，包括给他们买外套和鞋子来适应寒冷。
肯尼斯·马丁内斯说:“即使我们可能认为我们没有很多，但我们有一个额外的卧室，我们有办法、资源和能力来提供帮助。“我们很高兴能帮上忙。”
拜登政府表示，预计明年将有多达9.5万名难民从阿富汗重新定居美国。美国军事和外交人员于8月31日撤出阿富汗，结束了美国在该国长达20年的战争。负责客户和社区参与的克里斯汀·阿斯特(Kristen Aster)表示，为了应对这一需求，领导这一过程的九家美国全国难民重新安置机构必须与社区合作伙伴合作寻找住房国际救援委员会九大机构之一。
在某些情况下，像马丁内斯一家这样的人向阿富汗难民免费开放家园。在其他情况下，当地公司和个人提供出租场所。
阿斯特说:“考虑到现在有大量的人到达，我们正在与社区成员和私人资源合作，寻求临时解决方案。“这绝对是一条伟大而关键的生命线，因为我们与这些家庭合作，为他们找到更永久的住房。”
“然后我们与这些家庭合作，帮助他们找到工作，让他们的孩子入学，获得医疗保健，学习英语，与志愿者和社区其他人联系，帮助他们在美国的生活中导航，”她说。“所有这些都是为了帮助家庭尽快实现自给自足和融入社会。”
马丁内兹一家说，他们的基督教信仰以及自己的经历促使他们去帮助别人。这对夫妇于2011年从墨西哥移民到美国，当时肯尼斯·马丁内斯获得了微软的一份工作。
我们清楚地知道来到一个全新的国家，没有家庭或任何东西是什么感觉。
他说:“我们非常清楚来到一个全新的国家，没有家庭或任何东西是什么感觉。“我们知道这可能很困难，就(阿富汗难民)而言，这非常困难。”
对于西雅图附近的房地产开发商福恩·约翰逊来说，她意识到她可以帮助有需要的阿富汗家庭，因为她看到了他们乘坐美国军用飞机逃离祖国的新闻报道。
她说:“(我们的)一所房子在7月份空置，随着我们越来越多地看到阿富汗发生的事情，我们决定用它来帮助难民。“这是我们可以亲自动手做的一件事。”
约翰逊现在捐出她的财产，用作难民的临时着陆点，直到他们能够搬到更永久的住房。
当约翰逊和她在家族企业工作的儿子和女儿向家人和朋友寻求帮助时，一个由100多名志愿者组成的团队在几周内加紧翻修房子，并为房子储备食物、衣服、家庭用品和玩具。
一家三口，包括一个18个月大的男孩，于8月23日抵达家中，约翰逊和其他志愿者在那里迎接他们。
“我们帮他们提行李，他们带着所有的东西进来了，”她说。“这确实让我们想到了他们带来的几样东西，以及我们如何能够在一两次旅行中携带所有这些东西。”
约翰逊回忆说，在描述蹒跚学步的孩子对他在美国的新家的反应时，“他进来后做的第一件事就是直接走到玩具所在的地方，然后他看到了一个球。他的父亲说，他喜欢球，他在喀布尔有一个球，他必须留下。”
在他们安顿好自己的家后，约翰逊一直与家人保持联系，包括第一次带他们去看大海，以及从当地的阿富汗面包店购买面包，这样他们会更有家的感觉。
她现在也在努力帮助安置在西雅图地区的阿富汗难民找到工作。
“家里的丈夫现在有计算机科学学位，”约翰逊说。“当他在这里寻找工作时，很难实现这种转变，所以我们真的希望一些大型科技公司能够挺身而出，帮助像他这样受过教育的人与他们合作，让他们就业。”
她说:“我们看到的人是那些与美国军方合作的人，他们受过良好的教育，并将为这个国家做出巨大贡献。“它们将真正明显地为美国的文化、经济和挂毯增添光彩。”
约翰逊和马丁内斯一家都在志愿服务中度过难关世界救济组织一个基督教人道主义组织，其西雅图办事处正努力重新安置过去一个月抵达的100多名阿富汗难民。
“我们在西雅图地区有一个相当强大的阿富汗社区，大多数人都想去他们有领带的地方，无论是家人还是朋友，”西雅图世界救济组织的执行主任奇特拉·汉斯塔德在谈到该地区为什么会经历如此大的增长时说。“我认为这也与华盛顿州的欢迎性质有关。它是人们登陆的好地方，而且有很多工作机会。”
汉斯塔德说，抵达西雅图地区的阿富汗难民通常只带一两个手提箱，手里拿着1000多美元——通过美国政府的津贴——开始他们的新生活。
从那里，世界救济组织介入，帮助提供在美国开始生活的住房和用品，包括给当地商店的礼品卡，以便这些家庭可以挑选自己的物品。该组织还提供长期支持，如就业安置、儿童保育、社会活动和语言班。
汉斯塔德说:“我们读到的研究表明，如果你在做你擅长或想做的事情，你可以更快地学习语言，所以我们开设了一门阿富汗妇女缝纫课，通过缝纫教英语。”他还补充说，这门课也有助于解决难民经常感到的孤立感。“我们在一个队列模型中这样做，这样这些女性就可以通过那几周的缝纫来真正了解另一组女性。”
汉斯塔德说，最近对阿富汗难民的捐款“大幅增加”，但她担心未来几个月和几年，难民们将继续在美国建设自己的生活。
“我从事这项工作多年，我看到危机是短暂的。人们转向下一件事，”她说。“我们真正迫切需要的是资金，这样我们才能灵活敏捷。”
阿富汗难民对帮助的巨大需求促使私营部门的公司也站出来提供帮助。
例如，Airbnb.org向全世界20 000名阿富汗难民提供临时住房，与国际救援委员会合作，将难民安置在可供出租的住房中。
今年30岁的卡梅隆·斯蒂尔住在弗吉尼亚州的阿灵顿，他在8月下旬发现自己在加州萨克拉门托的Airbnb房产将被拍卖经由Airbnb.org租赁和国际救援委员会为一个难民家庭提供住房。
当他告诉他的朋友关于预订的事情时，一个关于他们如何帮助即将到来的阿富汗家庭的想法产生了。
斯蒂尔说:“我的一个朋友说，‘如果这个家庭需要什么，告诉我，我很乐意支持’。“这引发了一个想法，我在脸书和Instagram上发布消息称，我将接待一个家庭，如果有人想(支持)我会确保100%给这个家庭。”
斯蒂尔说，捐款开始大量涌入，大部分是5美元和10美元这样的小额捐款。
斯蒂尔的姐姐阿什利·弗罗斯特(Ashley Frost)住在萨克拉门托，帮助他管理Airbnb的房产，她利用这笔资金为房子储备了用品，并给家人留下了一张礼品卡，这样他们就可以自己购物了。
斯蒂尔在谈到弗罗斯特时说:“她花了几个小时，用给她的钱为这个家庭收集所有的东西。“她和她的两个女儿，也就是我的侄女一起去的，所以看到她让她们参与到这个过程中来是很棒的。”
当第一个阿富汗家庭搬到更永久的住房，第二个家庭本周搬进来时，斯蒂尔也能给他们礼品卡和用品。
斯蒂尔说:“离开你所知道的一切是如此困难，即使你知道这个机会对你的孩子和家人更好。”斯蒂尔通过他的女朋友和她的家人直接看到了这一点，他们是亚美尼亚人，移民到美国。“我知道这一点都不容易，所以在整个经历中增加一些人情味，真正向他们展示我们在做什么，这很酷。”
斯蒂尔说，除了帮助他们开始生活，他希望给阿富汗家庭留下捐款的行为有助于让他们在美国有更多的家的感觉。
这是美国梦的一部分，也是我们作为一个国家的基础。
他说:“像这样的小事有希望让你觉得你做了正确的决定，你在正确的地方，这给了你希望，这是我们都需要的。“[抵达美国的阿富汗难民]对很多人来说都是一件具有挑战性的事情——无论是对搬到这里的人，还是对感觉人们正在进入他们的社区的人来说——但这是美国梦的一部分，也是我们作为一个国家、作为一个民族的基础。”
斯蒂尔说:“具体到这个国家，我们都曾是移民。
US families step up to welcome Afghan refugees in their homes
Kenneth and Adi Martinez have an extra bedroom in the home they share outside of Seattle with their 6-month-old son and 3-year-old daughter.
So when the Martinezes watched the coverage oftens of thousands of people fleeing Afghanistanlast month as the Taliban took over, they stepped up to help.
The Martinezes opened their extra bedroom to a family of four who left Afghanistan with all of their belongings packed in a few bags. The mother is pregnant with her third child.
"They [told us] they were in the airplane when one of their friends contacted them and said the Taliban came," said Adi Martinez. "I’m pretty sure their flight was one of the last to leave before the chaos began."
For the past month, the two families from different parts of the world have assimilated, living and cooking together and watching their young children play together even as they speak different languages. The Martinezes have helped the family adjust to life in Seattle, including buying them coats and shoes to adjust to the cold.
"Even though we may think we don’t have a lot, we have an extra bedroom, we have the means and the resources and the ability to help," said Kenneth Martinez. "We are happy that we can help."
The Biden administration said as many as 95,000 refugees are expected to resettle in the United States from Afghanistan over the next year. U.S. military and diplomatic personnel withdrew from Afghanistan on Aug. 31, ending America's 20 years of war in the country.
To be able to respond to the demand, the nine national U.S. refugee resettlement agencies that lead the process are having to work with community partners to find housing, according to Kristen Aster, director of client and community engagement with theInternational Rescue Committee (IRC), one of the nine agencies.
In some cases, people like the Martinez family are opening their homes for free to Afghan refugees. In other cases, local companies and individuals are offering places to rent.
"Given the the large numbers of folks who are arriving right now, we are working with community members and private resources to have interim solutions," said Aster. "That's definitely been a great and critical lifeline as we work with these families to find them more permanent housing."
"Then we work with the families to help them find jobs, to enroll their kids in school, and access medical care, to learn English, to get connected with volunteers and others in the community to help them navigate life in the United States," she said. "All of that is with the goal of helping families to be self-sufficient and integrated as soon as possible."
The Martinezes said their Christian faith as well as their own experience motivated them to help. The couple immigrated to the United States from Mexico in 2011 when Kenneth Martinez was offered a job with Microsoft.
We know exactly what it feels like to come to a brand new country with no family or anything.
"We know exactly what it feels like to come to a brand new country with no family or anything," he said. "We know it can be difficult, and in the case [of Afghan refugees], it’s very difficult."
For Fawn Johnson, a real estate developer in nearby Seattle, the realization she could help Afghan families in need came as she was watching news coverage of them fleeing their home country on U.S. military aircraft.
"One of [our] homes became vacant in July and as we saw more and more about what was going on in Afghanistan, we decided we wanted to use it to help refugees," she said. "This was one thing we could actually put our hands on and personally do something about."
Johnson is now donating her property to be used as a temporary landing spot for refugees until they are able to move to more permanent housing.
When Johnson and her son and daughter, who work in the family business, asked for help from family and friends, a team of more than 100 volunteers stepped up to renovate the house in a matter of weeks and stock it with food, clothing, household supplies and toys.
A family of three, including an 18-month-old boy, arrived at the home on Aug. 23, and Johnson and other volunteers were there to greet them.
"We helped them carry in their luggage and they came in with everything they had," she said. "It really hit us the few things that they brought with them and how we could carry of all that in in just a trip or two."
Describing the toddler's reaction to his new home in the U.S., Johnson recalled, "The first thing he did when he came in was go right to where the toys are and he saw a ball. His father said that he loves balls and that he had one in Kabul that he had to leave behind."
Johnson has stayed in touch with the family as they have settled into their home, including taking them to see the ocean for the first time and procuring bread from a local Afghan bakery so they would feel more at home.
She is now also working to help find jobs for the Afghan refugees resettling in the Seattle area.
"The husband in the house now has a degree in computer science," said Johnson. "As he looks for jobs here, it’s difficult to make that transition, so we’re really hoping some of the big tech companies can step up and help people like him who have the education to work with them to get them employed."
"The people that we are seeing are those who worked with U.S. military, who are well-educated and who are going to do a great deal to add to this country," she said. "They will really be clearly adding to the culture and the economy and just the tapestry of the United States."
Both Johnson and the Martinez family are volunteering their homes throughWorld Relief, a Christian humanitarian organization whose Seattle office is working to resettle more than 100 Afghan refugees who have arrived in the past month.
"We have a pretty robust Afghan community in the Seattle area and most folks want to go where they have a tie, either a family member or friend," Chitra Hanstad, executive director of World Relief Seattle, said of why the area is experiencing such an uptick. "I think it also has to do with the welcoming nature of Washington state. It makes it a great place for people to land, and there are a lot of job opportunities."
The Afghan refugees arriving in the Seattle area typically come with just a suitcase or two and just over $1,000 in hand -- through a U.S. government stipend -- to start their new lives, according to Hanstad.
From there, World Relief steps in to help provide housing and supplies to start their lives in the U.S., including gift cards to local stores so the families can pick out their own belongings. The organization also provides long-term support like job placement, child care, social activities and language classes.
"We read research that you can learn language faster if you’re doing something that you’re good at or want to do, so we started an Afghan women’s sewing class and teach English through sewing," said Hanstad, adding that the class also helps with the isolation refugees often feel. "We do it in a cohort model so these women get to know another group of women really well through those weeks of sewing."
Hanstad said there has been a "huge uptick" recently of donations for Afghan refugees, but she worries about the months and years ahead as the refugees continue to build their lives in the U.S.
"I’ve been doing this work for years and I’ve seen that crises are short-lived. People move on to the next thing," she said. "Really what we need desperately is funding so we can be flexible and agile."
The huge need for help for Afghan refugees has prompted companies in the private sector to step up and help too.
Airbnb.org, for example, isproviding temporary housing to 20,000 Afghan refugees worldwide, working with the International Rescue Committee to place refugees in housing available for rent.
Cameron Steele, a 30-year-old in Arlington, Virginia, found out in late August that his Airbnb property in Sacramento, California, would berented via Airbnb.organd the International Rescue Committee to house a refugee family.
As he told his friends about the booking, an idea grew of how they could help the incoming Afghan family.
"One of my friends said, ‘If the family needs anything, let me know, I’m happy to support,'" said Steele. "That sparked an idea and I posted on Facebook and Instagram that I’d be hosting a family and if anyone wanted to [support] I’d make sure 100% was given to the family."
Donations started pouring in, mostly in small amounts like $5 and $10, according to Steele.
Steele's sister, Ashley Frost, who lives in Sacramento and helps him manage the Airbnb property, used the support to stock the house with supplies and leave the family a gift card so they could shop on their own.
"She spent hours collecting all the stuff for the family with the money that was given," Steele said of Frost. "She went with her two daughters, my nieces, so it was neat to see her involving them in the process."
When the first Afghan family moved on to more permanent housing and a second family moved in this week, Steele was also able to give them gift cards and supplies.
"It’s so difficult to leave everything you know, even if you know the opportunity is better for your kids and your family," said Steele, who saw it firsthand through his girlfriend and her family, who are Armenian and immigrated to the U.S. "I know it's not easy at all so it's cool to just play a little role in adding some humanness to this whole experience and really showing them what we’re about."
Steele said that in addition to helping them start their lives, he hopes the act of leaving donations for the Afghan families helps make them feel more at home in America.
It’s part of the American dream and the foundation of who we are as a country.
"Little things like this hopefully make you feel like you made the right decision and you’re in the right place and it gives you hope, and that’s what we all need," he said. "[Afghan refugees arriving in the U.S.] is a challenging thing for a lot of people -- both for people moving here and for people feeling like people are coming into their communities -- but it’s part of the American dream and the foundation of who we are as a country, as a people."
"For this country specifically, we were all immigrants once," said Steele.
