AUSTIN, Texas — Texas has already welcomed 332 Afghan refugees, with more expected to settle by the end of September.
A woman from Afghanistan now living in Temple is ready to open her home and welcome one in.
“I'm alone here,” Kaukaba Housini said. “So why should I not share with another child to help them? Or maybe another family or maybe a young mom with a child?”
Housini taught elementary school for years after fleeing Afghanistan.
“I was forced to leave my country,” Housini said. "When I came to the United States, it was 1996.”
She is now retired, and all of her children are out of the house.
Seeing the Taliban take over her home country got her thinking about how to help.
“I heard that 70% of those coming in right now are women and children,” said Ashley Faye, director of Development for Texas Refugee Services.
Texas is expected to resettle 574 Afghans by the end of September.
Austin will resettle the most refugees, with 185 Afghan refugees expected to arrive by the end of the month.
While welcoming one into a home like Housini's is an option, there are other ways to help.
“You can definitely volunteer and we're gonna need a lot of help setting up apartments and then working with these clients,” Faye said. “Helping teach them English and helping them learn how to ride the bus and all kinds of things like that.”
Texas Refugee Services is also in need of financial donations. To volunteer or donate to Texas Refugee Services.