Actions

Pima County libraries looking for donations for Afghan refugees

Pima County libraries are accepting donations at 15 locations across Tucson and Oro Valley to help Afghan refugees.

By: Tina Giuliano

Posted

and last updated

TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — Pima County libraries are accepting donations at 15 locations across Tucson and Oro Valley to help Afghan refugees.

In partnership with Pima County's Welcome to Amercia Team, Tucson Afghan Community is collecting items until February 10th to help the refugees. They are looking for items like baby formula, baby clothes, pillow cases, bed sheets, non-perishable food, and hygiene products.

Pima County branch manager and Welcome to America leader Tara Foxx-Lupo said there is more need right now than ever as resources are running into a time crunch in addition to the large influx of refugees.

"That meant that the local agencies aren’t necessarily able to have the same amount of preparation to receive those folks so we realized that one of the most important things is to get them the those basic necessities that they need in life," she said.

Volunteers like Soma Goldman, who is an Afghan immigrant herself, said it's important that people donate anything they can to help the refugees acclimate to their new life in a new country.

"I mean I didn’t have the cultural shock like many of them have," she said "I talk to them every day and many of them are scared, depressed some of them didn’t even think they were going to leave Afghanistan and I try to talk to them to help them think about their future.”

Goldman and other volunteers help distribute the items collected at the libraries, taking them directly to the refugees.

Here are the locations that have boxes available for drop-off: