| A Place to Call HomeThe Winona Afghan Support Network (WASN) is a group of area residents that have recently resettled two Afghan families in Winona. Last month we were happy to also welcome four adult Afghan individuals into our community.On March 1st, we closed on a house and the Khostai family, with four kids and one on the way, was able to have ‘a place to call home’ after living in uncertainty for many months.  The house will serve as a safe place for refugee families to land and get settled when they are first welcomed into the community. Donation information can be found on the WASN website, afghanwinona.org. Donations go directly to supporting our new Afghanistan neighbors and are tax-deductible. |
 Why Help The people of Afghanistan risked their lives to aid U.S. service members over the last two decades. Both fathers of the Winona families worked for the U.S. government. With less than a day’s notice to evacuate, they were forced to leave everything behind in Afghanistan. ‘Afghanistan’ is gone. There is no more ‘Afghanistan’. I have no place where I come from. I am without a homeland – a sense of place. – Father of one of the families |
 First Moments Among the heartache and trauma, there have been moments of joy, laughter, and connection. A first day of school (ever) was experienced by two eager girls, a first group swing ride was shared by laughing kids, and a first Afghanistan meal in a small MN town was cherished by strangers quickly becoming friends. |