By Rachel Puryear

Dear readers, when I first started this blog, I did so out of a strong belief in personal freedom. The principle that people should be empowered to live their lives on their terms, and also respect and defend others’ right to do the same; drove me to keep writing and building this blog.

At this time, the people of Afghanistan face a grave threat to their personal freedoms, and the return of a notoriously oppressive and violent regime under the Taliban. This threat is especially severe for Afghan women and children, and other vulnerable members of society.

You might be wondering how you can help, but are not sure what you can do. There are several easy ways that you can help them right now. NPR has compiled a list of simple steps you can take right now to help Afghan refugees. According to NPR, these include the following:

• Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service is asking for volunteers to assist refugees upon arrival at airports – such as pickups, meals, mentorship, tutoring, and so forth.
• Women for Women International has a generous community member willing to match up to $500,000.00 in donations to assist Afghan women.
• If you can afford to do so; consider donating to the International Refugee Assistance Project; the Afghan Journalists Safety Committee, which helps protect journalists on the ground; Women for Afghan Women, which says it is the largest women’s rights group in Afghanistan.
• Email the White House, and urge them to take immediate steps to ensure that vulnerable Afghans have pathways to safety. You can do so through the International Rescue Committee’s email form here, and you can also donate to this organization here.

Thank you dear readers, for your willingness to consider helping others in need. As always, thank you for reading, following, and sharing; and if you don’t already, please subscribe here. Here’s to the pursuit of freedom and equality for all.

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