Congressman Jim McGovern tours Ansaar of Worcester with Mona Ives and Bilal Sarhadi. (Photo/Laura Hayes)
SHREWSBURY – Bilal Sarhadi was living in a local hotel after leaving Afghanistan last year as a refugee.
He was one of several other refugees receiving meals from the group Ansaar of Worcester at the time and they wanted to give back.
So, Sarhardi and others in his position started volunteering for Ansaar, soon joining as employees.
“They kept asking to help,” said President and Chair of the Board of Directors Mona Ives, who has also helped Sarhadi get other jobs.
“I consider them my clients and also my employees because they also help inform the services that we provide,” Ives continued in a recent interview.
Congressman Jim McGovern stopped by Ansaar on Thursday to tour its facilities and meet Afghan refugees. Four refugees, including Sarhadi were present.
During his visit, McGovern called Ansaar an “incredible asset” to the community while also recognizing ongoing issues posing challenges to the community.
“I’m glad that you’re here, and I’m just sorry that things are as difficult in your home country as they have been,” McGovern said to refugees in attendance at this event.
What is Ansaar of Worcester
Ansaar, which is located at 334 Boston Turnpike, provides charitable services to refugees and immigrants from all over the world, as well as to local underserved populations. Ives estimated that they’re serving between 2,000 to 3,000 people at this time
Their services include a halal and culturally-appropriate food pantry, as well as access to clothing, housewares and school supplies.
“[We provide] anything that people need for basic survival,” Ives said.
Ansaar offers a broad scope of services.
Bilal Sarhadi, Nasir Athayee, Karam Emami, Parwez Emami, Mona Ives and Khawlah Mahmoud pose for a photo in Ansaar. (Photo/Laura Hayes)
They also offer education programs, such as scholarships to private schools for elementary school children and after-school programs, and services and activities like meal support, picnics and parties, classes and sewing circles. Currently, Ansaar has been holding a toy drive for refugee children for the holiday Eid.
Ansaar additionally has a case manager who helps connect refugees to benefits, while also supporting local resettling agencies.
Ives said most of the Afghan refugees they work with are worried about their immigration status.
“They’re really worried about what’s going to happen when our cards expire,” she said.
The four refugees present on Thursday, including Sarhadi, recently received their driver’s licenses.
But those also expire in a year when their work authorization cards expire.
Many are additionally worried about families and loved ones who still live in Afghanistan. Sarhadi, is one of those individuals with those worries as he had to leave his family behind when he left the country.
“The only thing I care about is my family’s safety,” Sarhadi said, through a translator.
‘We had been fighting this so long’
Sarhadi, who is 23, was previously a member of the Afghan military.
Part of Sarhadi’s work, he said, included supporting the United States Special Forces with different missions, including fighting with Taliban forces. He also performed evacuations in areas affected by Taliban fighting.
Special Forces personnel told Sarhadi’s commanders and supervisors that they were leaving operations in Afghanistan, Sarhadi said.
Sarhadi then had to call his mother and tell her that he had to leave without saying goodbye. She was happy that he was going to be safe, but devastated that she didn’t know when she would be able to see him next.
It’s now been a year since he’s seen his family.
Before he left, the military instructed Sarhadi to destroy his belongings so that he could not be traced.
Sarhadi said the Taliban, indeed, raided his house in Afghanistan last month trying to find evidence of his whereabouts.
“When the country fell to the Taliban, we just were exhausted and we were just done and we were just sad and devastated about the loss because we had been fighting this so long,” Sarhadi said.
Congressman Jim McGovern talks with Afghan refugees. (Photo/Laura Hayes)
Sarhadi has been able to be in contact with his family using WhatsApp. He’s also been working at FedEx for several months and has able to send money to his family.
“I’m happy here,” he said. “[I’m] going to do my best to improve [my] life and outcome here in the States.”
Still, Ives noted that each of the four refugees present all had concerns, such as when they could receive a green card or be able to travel to see their families.
As part of his visit, McGovern committed to returning to Ansaar to talk with people about specific things that may be helpful. He said he could return with members of his staff that handle issues of immigration and foreign policy.
“The commitment is really admirable, and I think that, on behalf of all of the hundreds of people that we know, they’re really grateful to anyone who will make the time to do that,” Ives said.
How to support Ansaar
Ives said Ansaar is always looking for dry food donations, hygiene products, rugs and housewares such as vacuum cleaners and pressure cookers to benefit its clients.
During Ramadan, Ansaar does not have regular hours, but people can call (508) 556-9946 to make an appointment to drop items off.
After Ramadan, Ansaar will be open Monday through Friday from noon to 5 p.m.
