Fair Lawn Veterans Affairs Donates School Supplies To Afghan Kids

FAIR LAWN, NJ — Fair Lawn Veterans Affairs recently did their part in supporting the Afghan refugees at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst.

Through the Adopt-a-Soldier Platoon, the local veterans affairs division delivered school supplies to Liberty Village for the Afghan children at the base, according to a news release. The school supplies were donated by Fair Lawn residents to the Fair Lawn Food Pantry.

While at the Joint Base, they were given a tour of Liberty Village and visited the C-17 Squadron that provided air support and operations to Kabul during the evacuation of Americans & Afghans.

"It was an amazing experience," said Ashlee Luther, the Veterans Affairs liaison for the Borough of Fair Lawn

"I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to assist with their new lives."

The first group of Afghan refugees arrived at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst in late August, and were among the more than 58,000 people the United States has evacuated from Kabul since Aug. 14, Al-Jazeera reported.

The joint base is one of four military bases in the United States that are providing temporary shelter to Afghans as part of Operation Allies Refuge, according to the Defense Department.

Afghan refugees also are being housed at Fort McCoy, Wisconsin, Fort Bliss, Texas, and Fort Lee, Virginia, the Defense Department said.

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