In an effort to help the thousands of Afghan evacuees who are sheltered at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, also known as Fort Dix, in Burlington County, the New Jersey State Bar Association (NJSBA) Immigration Law Section is hosting a drive to supply clothing and other much-needed items.
The drive, dubbed the Afghan Allies and Friends Winter Drive, begins Nov. 29 and is co-sponsored by the NJSBA Pro Bono Committee, Young Lawyers Division (YLD), Child Welfare Law Section and Military Law and Veterans’ Affairs Section
Fort Dix is one of several military bases in the United States where Afghans are being temporarily housed after they were evacuated from Afghanistan when the U.S. ended its 20-year war.
Michele Alcalde, chair of the Immigration Law Section, said she got the idea to start the drive after visiting the base several times and seeing so many of the Afghans wearing flip flops in the cold weather.
“It’s a little sad to see adults and children still wearing flip flops. When they first arrived it was still pretty warm,” said Alcalde, who is among about 20 member attorneys who are part of the section’s Afghan Evacuees Attorney Volunteers pro bono project on the base.
The Afghans arrived with few belongings, and many came with only the clothes on their backs, she said.
Alcalde coordinated the drive with Saba Maher, an Afghan-American attorney and a member of the Afghan American Association of New Jersey, who has been voluteering on the base. From Maher, she learned that traditional Afghan women cover their arms and legs, therefore long-sleeve shirts, or short-sleeve shirts under dusters and long, loose-fitting dresses, would be culturally appropriate donations.
Alcalde said she was particularly concerned about the large numbers of children and pregnant women on the base. There are nearly 3,000 children under the age 17, including 1,000 children under the age of four, and about 300 pregnant women on the base.
Alcalde said some of the greatest need is providing shoes and winter boots for children and adults, and maternity and newborn items (except diapers).
“It’s just paramount that they receive those items,” she said.
YLD Chair Ryan J. Gaffney said the group’s members are committed to providing aid to the evacuees during their first winter in New Jersey. “We are proud to help in any way we can,” said Gaffney, who is also an NJSBA trustee.
The New Jersey Law Center in New Brunswick will be the drop-off site. Items can be dropped off during normal business hours and special events in a bin in front of the building.