The Supply Drive for Afghan Refugees is a drive dedicated to collecting goods on behalf of the those who are moving into New Jersey. This event is driven to supply everything from clothes to water for those who need it most.  

This program is hosted by the Human Rights Institute, United Nations Association (UNA) and the Muslim Student Association (MSA). These three organizations came together with the purpose of helping Afghan refugees who are struggling and experiencing economic difficulties. 

Chevon Williams, president of the Kean chapter of UNA and a volunteer on behalf of Human Rights Institute, has played a major role in the collection of goods. Like many others, Williams is determined to help the refugees get the supplies they need as well as making them feel safe, especially with everything that is going on in their homeland. 

“During the summer, there were a lot of things happening in Afghanistan,” Williams explains.

In recent events, the Taliban have harmfully affected Afghanistan, leaving a trail of death in its wake. With all of this chaos going on, many Afghans have left their country and have moved to other parts of the world. With this enormous shift in their lives, many refugees don’t have the basic supplies to maintain a normal lifestyle anymore.

“I think a lot of people wanted to help, but just didn’t know the right way,” Williams states about students on campus. “Muslim students on campus were really trying to find a way to help and make their community feel better.”

When made aware of the situation, these three organizations came together with the purpose of helping Afghan refugees. The best solution for this problem was to host a supply drive on campus. With this collection service, people can give donations that will actually benefit the refugees moving into the country.

“I think supply drives in their nature are much more helpful, specifically because they’re not catered to just one thing,” Williams mentions. “You can just find things around your house and bring them, which is better than having to go buy something at the grocery store.” 

Williams explains that the drive is looking for numerous items for both the families and their children. In this drive, the organizations are looking for following new and unopened items:  

For Families 

·     Bottled Water

·     Men and Women’s Clothing

·     Winter coats/jackets/gloves

·     Shoes

·     Feminine Hygiene Products

·     Wheelchairs, walkers, canes

·     Towels

·     Laundry Detergent

·     Toiletries & Grooming Kits

·     Smart Phone Charging Cables

For Children:

·     Diapers 

·     Clothing 

·     Formula

·     Baby Bottles

·     Baby Wipes

·     Shoes

·     School Supplies

·     Soccer balls, blocks, toys

These items have been in the collection process since the beginning of Kean Day, which took place on Sept. 10. The program will continue gathering supplies until Oct. 8. Students from all over campus have been giving back and dropping off their donations to the Nancy Thompson Library and the Human Rights Institute. 

“I think it’s important for us to realize how fortunate we are and how easy it is to give back to people,” says Williams. “If you can give, you can give.”

For students looking to help and volunteer, they can look to join UNA and look out for more volunteer opportunities with Human Rights Institute.