Eastern Iowa has welcomed 75 Afghan refugees so far with more expected to come
CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa — Months after the United States military pulled out of Afghanistan, 75 Afghan refugees have used the services from the Catherine McAuley Center in Cedar Rapids to resettle into the area.
Sara Zejnic, the center's director of refugee and immigration services, gave an update Monday morning during the Johnson County Refugee Alliance meeting.
Zenjnic said the area could receive a total of 250 Afghan refugees but that number could change. She said the entire state of Iowa is looking at welcoming around 700 total Afghan refugees to resettle.
Cedar Rapids and Des Moines would receive the bulk of those refugees to begin with while the Quad Cities, Sioux City, and Council Bluffs would receive some as well.
Right now, the Catherine McAuley Center has a 'wish list' of items they hope can be donated to help refugees settle into new homes.
You can view the wish list here or learn how to volunteer at the center here.
