By: Lilah Adams, Americorps Member- Community Engagement Coordinator
Prior to this August, the Nashville International Center for Empowerment (NICE) helped in the resettlement and community-building processes for about 80 individuals per year. In the past four months, however, they’ve worked to welcome more than 180 new Nashville arrivals from Afghanistan–and they don’t expect to slow down for a few more months.
While the expansion has pushed the organization far past its historical limits, they fit within a network of organizations adjusting to new needs. The city expects to welcome about 500 Afghans by the end of the year–just a sliver of the group of more than 50,000 forced into the resettlement process around the U.S. in 2021.
The widespread evacuation of Afghanistan is a response to the Taliban takeover in the country late last year, resulting in the quick uprooting of thousands of Afghanistan residents. The speed and mechanisms of the departure pose new challenges, with the majority of Afghan nationals assigned a “humanitarian parole” designation, separate from the traditional “refugee” status typical to individuals working with resettlement agencies. Those working with NICE emphasize that this designation shifts traditional processes for benefit eligibility and the timeline of governmental support for these new arrivals.
The situation remains continuously evolving and is exacerbated by the challenges intrinsic to the continued spread of COVID-19 throughout the world, which has required incredible flexibility and adaptiveness from all involved.
NICE has responded to new needs by making a series of organizational adjustments, simultaneously teaching and learning as they navigate new organizational terrain.
Chris Linthicum, director of resettlement services, emphasizes that partnerships have become essential to their coordination efforts, sharing resources with other resettlement agencies in the city, such as Catholic Charities.
As such, part of this new organizing has taken the form of an expanded partnership between NICE and The Nashville Food Project, with TNFP supporting NICE’s efforts through 8 weeks of produce and dry goods/pantry-staples meal support, aiming to provide initial access to both nutritious and culturally-connective foods.
Snapshots of dry goods shares and fresh produce bags heading to Afghan families!
Volunteers and employees at NICE have coordinated delivery of this food support to help ease the often-disruptive transition. The partnership has extended beyond the weekly produce distribution as well, supporting the organization’s vaccination event efforts with produce distribution in coordination.
Founded by Dr. Gatluak in 2005 to help build community for refugees from Sudan in Nashville, NICE recognizes that “the challenges faced by the NICE target population are often exacerbated by ‘mainstream’ support systems that often do not account for the steep access problems facing non-native English speakers, the majority of whom are unfamiliar with American culture.”
CEO and founder, Dr. Gatluak (left), alongside NICE logo and messaging (right)
Since then, NICE’s programming has developed into four main categories of support–education (from early childhood through high school), resettlement (initial contacts and coordinating upon arrival in the U.S.), employment (largely through a match grant program), health (intensive case management services), and ultimately assistance with immigration navigation.
In emphasizing shared experiences as a new arrival in the United States himself, Dr. Gatluck projects the shared value of hospitality–celebrating investment in relationships and people’s ability to both serve as guest and host–a dynamic evidenced in NICE’s commitment to empowerment as central in resettlement.
As NICE continues to welcome new Nashvillians, the organization is also urging fellow individuals in the community to consider how to support the resettlement process, specifically as they seek temporary and long-term housing solutions for our new neighbors. To learn more about NICE’s essential work and how to offer your support, check out their website.