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Nonprofits Help Afghan Refugees Adjust To Life In Arizona

People evacuated from Afghanistan following the Taliban takeover began arriving in the United States.

According to Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley, approximately 20,000 Afghans are currently located across eight U.S. military bases while the legalities of their immigration status are worked out.

Nonprofit organizations contracted with the State Department predict an additional 50,000 Afghans will arrive in the coming months.

The first group to arrive in the United States was brought into Phoenix last week.

With the challenges of escaping the Taliban behind them, this community now faces the task of acclimating to life in Phoenix — and the dramatic changes in routine that come with a move across the world.

The Show recently spoke with the leaders of two area nonprofits that will aid these new arrivals.

Connie Phillips is the president and CEO of Lutheran Social Services of the Southwest, and Aaron Rippenkroeger is executive director for the International Rescue Committee in Arizona. The Show talked with Phillips and Rippenkroeger about the priorities for helping these new Arizonans.

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Steve Goldstein was a host at KJZZ from 1997 to 2022.