Jaffrey-Rindge MLK Committee to gather donations for Afghan refugees resettling in NH

The Jaffrey-Rindge MLK Committee is partnering with the International Institute of New England — a Boston-based refugee-resettlement group with a branch in Manchester — to collect donations for Afghans who fled their home country earlier this year. Starting Saturday, the organization is asking for donations of gift cards as well as new and like-new items for the weeklong drive.

“We just thought this would be a great opportunity to reach out to our community and help these people arriving in New Hampshire,” said Megan Wheeler, a Jaffrey resident who joined the committee in June.

A humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan erupted in August when the Taliban seized control of the government amid the withdrawal of U.S. forces, resulting in tens of thousands of Afghans fleeing the country, according to media reports. While it’s still not clear if any of those people will be resettling in the Monadnock Region, some refugees are slated to move as close as Brattleboro, where the resettlement organization Ethiopian Community Development Council has a branch.

The Jaffrey-Rindge MLK Committee is a six-member community group that not only organizes an annual Martin Luther King Day celebration, but also works with local schools throughout the year. It facilitates educational workshops and provides scholarships to students, Wheeler said. The group’s mission is to celebrate the life of the iconic civil rights leader as well as highlight and apply his values and vision to the local community, Wheeler said. The donation drive is a part of the committee’s MLK National Day of Service.

The theme for 2022’s celebration is “The Power to Heal,” which will focus on the importance of “learning from your past to create a different future,” Wheeler said.

“[Afghan refugees] have a whole healing process as well that they have to go through,” she added.

The committee is asking local families to submit cards — with or without other donations — to welcome Afghan evacuees to the Granite State. Taking into account that the card recipients may have varying levels of English literacy, Wheeler said she has also been encouraging people to draw thoughtful images. They could be depictions of what they love about New Hampshire or what the best part about winter is, she said.

As of Nov. 19, the International Institute of New England had accepted 38 Afghan evacuees — mostly in Manchester — out of a total 75 that the organization plans to work with, according to New Hampshire Public Radio.

One of the easiest donations is gift cards to local chain stores — such as Market Basket, Walmart or Target — which allow evacuees to shop for themselves, according to a news release from the Jaffrey-Rindge MLK Committee.

But the group is also accepting donations of new or like-new bath items, including hand towels, wastebaskets and shower curtains; bedding items such as sheets, pillows and blankets of all sizes; new or unopened personal care items like shampoo, baby wipes and sanitary pads; and cleaning products, including brooms, Clorox wipes and laundry detergent. A complete list can be found at the MLK Celebration Jaffrey-Rindge Facebook page.

The group was brainstorming ideas for its national day of service around the same time the International Institute of New England announced Afghan evacuees would be resettled in New Hampshire, Wheeler said. Several years ago, the committee organized a successful donation drive for Syrian refugees, she added, and the committee thought a similar effort could benefit those who have fled Afghanistan. The drive is happening a month ahead of MLK Day to “address a pressing and timely need,” according to the committee’s news release.

Donations will be accepted at three locations: Tieger Realty Co. at 25 Turnpike Road in Jaffrey, Dec. 11 to Dec. 18, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. (excluding Sunday, Dec. 12).; The Rindge Recreation Department at 283 Wellington Road in Jaffrey, Dec. 13 to Dec. 17, from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.; and families of Jaffrey-Rindge Cooperative School District students can drop items off at Conant High School, 3 Conant Way, in Jaffrey, Dec. 13 to Dec. 17, from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Volunteers are needed to sort and pack donations on Dec. 18, and people interested in participating can contact Wheeler at JaffreyRindgeMLK@gmail.com or 603-831-9130.