The first wave of Afghan refugees has hit this area. They need a lot of help. We can’t give them all that they need, but we can help with the smaller things they need urgently.

In the past five years, refugee aid, staff, and services were cut to the bone. The now understaffed refugee agencies still functioning are struggling to respond to the influx of refugees. We’ve agreed to try and help meet this very urgent need of newcomers; none of them are used to our winter environment.

These people are mostly on their own, with a fraction of financial support given to new refugees in American for decades.

Next week, we’ll be posting an Amazon Bishop Maginn  Thanksgiving Baskets Wish List for all the refugee families, including those just arriving from Afghanistan.

In the meantime, anyone who wishes to help in this emergency is asked to send these items directly to Bishop Maginn High School, a collection and distribution center for the new arrivals.

The urgent list: Bathroom rugs, towels (can’t get enough), sheets, blankets, quilts, and comforters, kids gloves. This is not a wish list; donors are asked to purchase and ship these items – they must be new and packaged – to the Afghan Emergency Fund,  C/O Sue Silverstein, Bishop Maginn High School, 75 Park Avenue, Albany, N.Y., 12202.

You can purchase these items anywhere you like – Wal-Mart, Amazon, local stories – but they must be new. You can ship them directly to the school or ask the sellers to send them there. We don’t have specific sizes. I’d go for Queens size bed and beddings, otherwise medium and large sizes in general.

This is short-term support. Volunteers are finding housing, but the refugees literally have nothing but the clothes they are wearing. (They can also use woman’s shoes size 9, and men’s shoes size 10, I was just told.)

The refugees have never been exposed to cold weather before, and they are very cold.

If any of you are uncomfortable purchasing online or going to big stories, you can donate to me, Jon Katz, P.O.Box 205, and I’ll be happy to make the purchases and send them to the high school. You can also donate to Paypal, [email protected] or Venmo, [email protected].

Thanks so much. Please look for our Thanksgiving Basket Wish List next Wednesday or Thursday.