OSU partners with Catholic Charities to resettle Afghan refugees

Wednesday, October 6, 2021

Media Contact: Shannon Rigsby | Public Information Officer | 405-744-9081 | shannon.rigsby@okstate.edu

Oklahoma State University has partnered with Catholic Charities of Eastern Oklahoma (CCEOK) to help with the relocation and settlement of up to 40 Afghan families who were evacuated by the United States government after the fall of the Afghan government.

CCEOK was notified in early September that assistance was needed to resettle the evacuees into the Stillwater area. OSU and CCEOK are working together to provide support for these families.

The first group of Afghan refugees will arrive on campus in early November and will be housed  in approximately 25 unoccupied Residential Life units. Although the full needs of the families are still not certain, CCEOK and OSU are working on providing English as a second language training through the English Language and Intercultural Center, transportation through the OSU community bus network, adult and child programming through the Family Resource Center, assistance with food and furniture drives and volunteer translation services offered by international and other student groups at OSU. 

Want to volunteer?
OSU is seeking the help of the Cowboy family to assist with a warm community welcome for these families. Faculty, staff and student organization volunteers are needed to support the Afghan Family Project - Stillwater. Sign up to help. 

Donations needed

These families, many with young children, are arriving with nothing but the clothes on their backs. CCEOK is seeking household items, monetary donations and gift cards to provide long-term assistance for these families. Item categories include: Furniture, dinnerware, linens, toiletries, cleaning supplies and more. Donate now.

A website has been created to provide ongoing updates, answer frequently asked questions and to coordinate assistance needed for this project. You can learn more at global.okstate.edu/afghan-project/index.html.

CCEOK is the lead agency on the Afghan Families-Stillwater Project. OSU’s response is being led by the School of Global Studies and Partnerships and includes coordination with OSU’s academic and auxiliary departments, including Student Affairs, Residential Life, OSU Parking and Transit and others. 

Questions about the project can be directed to Dr. Randy Kluver, dean of the School of Global Studies and partnerships, at sgsp@okstate.edu or at 405-744-6606.