Minnesota may soon become home to some new residents. Over the next months Minnesota anticipates that it will welcome more than 1,000 Afghan people, which is only a fraction of the estimated 70,000 citizens who have recently fled Afghanistan.

"Minnesota has a long legacy of welcoming immigrants and refugees, many of whom have made this state their permanent home,” said Senior Vice President of Community Impact Pahoua Yang Hoffman. “The Saint Paul & Minnesota Foundation is proud to keep this tradition going through our support of the Afghan resettlement efforts and the work being done every day by organizations across the state from Lutheran Social Services to the International Institute of Minnesota who are helping Afghan arrivals relocate to the state.”

In partnership with the Minnesota Council on Foundations and others, the Foundation is investing in Operation Allies Welcome in Minnesota, a statewide effort to ensure each new Afghan arrival has what they need to resettle. This support will be part of a public-private partnership, with funding and volunteer aid from federal, state, individual and philanthropic sources.

“Not every state provides benefits to refugees but in Minnesota, Afghan refugees can qualify to receive benefits such as Minnesota Family Investment Plan once they meet the 30-day residency requirement," Pahoua said. “This is why it is important for foundations such as the Saint Paul & Minnesota Foundation and individual donors to come together to meet the needs during this critical window.”