HIAS Welcome Circles Information Session

The Orange County Jewish Coalition for Refugees (OCJCR) in partnership with HIAS, invites the community to an informational Zoom meeting for all who want to learn about welcoming and resettling Afghan refugees in SoCal.

Join HIAS and OCJCR on Friday January 14 at 11am to learn about how our community can welcome Afghan evacuees through HIAS Welcome Circles. Detailed information about the roles and responsibilities of Welcome Circle volunteers, how to form teams, and the application process, will be provided. This will also be an opportunity to answer any questions about the program.

Questions can be submitted in advance to info@OCJCR.org.

REGISTER HERE to attend.

HIAS Welcome Circles are a unique opportunity for community groups and congregations to sponsor Afghan evacuees and have been created as an emergency response to the Afghan refugee crisis. This is the largest U.S. effort to resettle refugees in decades.

Over 74,000 Afghans have been evacuated to the United States since August 2021. 34,000 Afghans still remain at U.S. military bases as they wait to be resettled into welcoming communities across the country. In response, the Community Sponsorship Hub (CSH) in partnership with HIAS, has worked with the U.S. Department of State to launch the Welcome Circle Program for Afghans, a new community-led resettlement initiative that enables everyday Americans to take on the responsibility of welcoming Afghan newcomers to their communities.

ALL OF THIS RESETTLEMENT WILL HAPPEN WITHIN THE NEXT MONTH AND A HALF. IT IS A MASSIVE EFFORT AND AN EXTRAORDINARY MOMENT IN HISTORY.

To learn more about Welcome Circles prior to the Jan. 14th informational session it will be helpful for you to read this information in advance:

Links to additional information:
About HIAS Welcome Circles
How it Works

Please join us!