Resettling Afghan Families Together

NOVA RAFT is a grassroots coalition of neighbors committed to supporting newly arrived Afghan families as they join our Northern Virginia community.

Since August 2021, RAFT has collected donated household goods, furniture and electronics, raised money for household essentials, recruited volunteers, and successfully set up 300 new homes. Working together, we have delivered nearly $1,000,000 in aid. 

Along the way, RAFT volunteers have connected with the families and helped in other ways. Our volunteers support families as they struggle to access all of the benefits available to them, start children in school, study to get driver’s licenses, and, most importantly, find jobs. RAFT volunteers provide essential assistance to families learning how their new communities work, and we celebrate every step families take towards becoming part of their communities.

RAFT volunteers are now focused on leading English conversation classes and supporting teacher-led English as a Second Language classes. Our team is on the ground in the target area daily working with these families at the William Ramsey Recreation Center, the epicenter of our ESL and community activities.

We also have a partnership agreement with Alexandria City Public Schools and are excited to continue offering Youth programming for new immigrant teens in the Alexandria area.

We continue to work with religious groups, non-profits, and businesses to support resettlement efforts.

We are excited you are here, and we need your help. You can get involved and help families feel welcome in our area.

"There is no exercise better for the heart than reaching down and lifting people up."

John Holmes

How Can I Help?

“Everybody can be great. Because anybody can serve...You only need a heart full of grace. A soul generated by love.” ~Martin Luther King, Jr.

Donate Your Time

Volunteers are the core of our group. Click to learn more.

Donate Furniture

Dressers, end tables, desks, dining tables, chairs, beds, mattresses, anything that goes into making a house a home!

Get Your Organization Involved

Get a group together and help a family settle into their new home.

Amazon
Wish List

Buy kitchen, laundry, and other needed household items.

0 +
Number of Homes Set Up
+
Pieces of Furniture Donated
+
Number of Community Groups Involved