Lutheran Community Services Northwest’s  Afghan Women’s Group is helping recently arrived refugee women build new lives in the Puget Sound region. Led by behavioral health associate Mastora Hassan, the support group is open to female counseling clients who are from Afghanistan and/or speak Dari, Farsi or Pashto. About a dozen women currently participate. The women meet twice a month and discuss self care and navigating local services. They also invite legal and medical professionals to speak on topics such as vaccines, COVID-19, Special Immigrant Visas and immigration sponsorship. 

The group is also a place for making social and community connections. 

A recently arrived Afghan mother joined the support group. She has a family member with developmental disabilities and is learning to navigate a very difficult medical system. The mother reported to her counselor that the Afghan Women’s Group makes her feel less alone in her new country. She is grateful to have a connection with supportive women who speak her language and understand her culture. 

In-person meetings for the Afghan Women’s Group were paused in 2020 because of the pandemic. The group turned to virtual gatherings in late 2021.