Update: The outpouring of support has been INCREDIBLE. Thank you everyone for your gifts to this family. It’ll take us a long time to sort through everything provided, so we’re pausing our collection for a bit.
Do you have, or do you know someone who might have, any of these items?
With the help of the Immigration & Refugee Outreach Center (IROC), the Khodadadi family is getting settled in their new home in Hyattsville, Maryland.
They immigrated from Afghanistan in the spring of 2025 with Special Immigration Status for Afghans, and need help establishing themselves. They are truly starting from scratch.
The family has five children: four daughters and one son. The girls are 16, 14, 10, and 1; the boy is 8.
Here’s a wish list of things they’ve specifically asked for (along with a few guesses at things they need—like a booster car seat for the baby). Will you check your closets and see if there’s anything you might be able to pull out and pass along?
Blender
This is a kitchen appliance they specifically requested, but we imagine that a food processor or anything similar might also work.
Electric juicer
But they’d happily accept a traditional/manual juicer, too.
Sewing Notions
Quality sewing scissors, thread, bobbins, etc. — even fabric? The mother now has a sewing machine, which she is apparently good with, and just needs associated elements.
Pillows
A family of seven needs a lot of bed pillows. They also have a big (used) sofa and could use throw pillows to dress it up a bit.
For the kids
The little boy loves motorcycles, and enjoyed a set of foam blocks quite a bit. The 10-year-old girl is interested in medical equipment (perhaps wants to be a doctor — but is probably old enough that she’d likely be happier with a real stethoscope or blood pressure machine and the like, than with toy versions). She might also enjoy coloring books. The one-year-old would benefit from toddler toys, blocks, etc. She also needs a booster car seat. The 14-year-old likes to cook, so any kitchen equipment is a winner. She’s also interested in fashion design. And the 16-year-old would love some painting supplies.
Books
Children’s books, especially easy reading books that the older kids could read to the younger ones might be great for learning English.
School supplies
They have a few notebooks and the like, but they would benefit from backpacks, sketchbooks, scissors, colored pencils, etc. if you’ve got some kicking around.
School uniforms
Size 0 women’s wide-leg khaki pants. The high school uniform requires khaki pants, and most standard uniform pants are narrow-legged. The family is Muslim and would prefer wide leg pants. Someone donated a pair from Uniqlo that the mother loved.
Bikes
With five kids in the family, a bicycle of any size could easily be put to use. The younger kids are especially interested in riding bikes.
Dining room chairs
They have a table, but only two folding chairs for their family of seven. Anyone have a set of chairs to pass along?
Dresser or chest of drawers
They’d likely accept a range of sizes or styles. And might benefit from more than one.
Smart phones
The family has one active cell phone number, but the teen girls especially are eager to have smart phones (ideally iPhones) — basically to use as old-school iPod touches. Anyone have an old phone you’d meant to recycle? Or planning an upgrade soon, and are willing to pass on your current phone?
Employment
The father is taking English classes, but needs work that does not require command of the English language, ideally somewhere in Hyattsville. The complication is that their baby has frequent need for medical appointments (she has an extra bone in her back), and the mother does not drive. So the father needs a little bit of grace and flexibility at any job in order to take his daughter for care.
Toiletries
For this family and others, one of the big ongoing needs, according to other IROC volunteers, are basic hygiene products like soap and shampoo. If you have a collection of sample-size toothpaste, toothbrushes, and dental floss in your bathroom cabinet from years of dentists trips, we can distribute those to new families.
And if you’re headed to Costco and want to contribute, consider picking up a big package of soap bars, or shampoo, or tampons, or diapers (the baby in this family is currently in size 4). Any of those items can be delivered to the Khodadadi family and others.
Anything else?
If you’re doing a house or closet or cabinet purge, send photos of whatever you’re getting rid of. The family hasn’t turned down many of the things offered so far.
What to be more involved?
The IROC organization currently has more refugee families than it has participants in their “New Neighbors” program. If you’d be interested in “adopting” a refugee family, they’d love to hear from you.