Refugees have already endured more than most can imagine by the time they reach Ithaca, but that doesn’t make them immune to further heartbreak. On Friday, July 14, tragedy struck an Afghan household that Ithaca Welcomes Refugees (IWR) had helped resettle just weeks earlier, when the patriarch of the family of six died unexpectedly in an automobile accident.

To better assist this family and others who experience an emergency after resettlement, IWR is establishing a crisis fund. The fund will be used to support households when their needs surpass the resources to which they have access.

IWR is launching a campaign to raise an initial $50,000 for the crisis fund. Thanks to a pledge of $25,000 in matching funds, the organization is already halfway to its goal. Members of the community who are in a position to help are asked to make a donation through GiveGab or send a check to Ithaca Welcomes Refugees at 315 N. Cayuga St., Ithaca, N.Y., 14850. If sending a check, please include “Crisis Fund” in the memo.

“This terrible tragedy underscores the financial precarity that refugee families often live with, especially so soon after resettlement,” IWR Executive Director Casey Verderosa said. “By establishing a crisis fund, we can ensure that this family and any other new arrival that experiences an emergency in our community can get the support that they need.”

Refugees typically arrive in Ithaca with very little, depending on government support and community kindness to get by until they become self-sufficient. That leaves them particularly vulnerable should a crisis strike.

The household that suffered the loss of their father arrived in Ithaca in June to begin their lives anew. In Afghanistan, the father was an engineer and worked as a translator for the U.S. military. In Ithaca, he was to be the family’s sole income earner and was the only member of the family who spoke English fluently. Without him, the family needs support for everyday living expenses, including rent, utilities, groceries, and more.

After escaping a dangerous situation in Afghanistan, the family had hopes for each to learn English and for their four children to attend college. This tragedy makes those aspirations all the more challenging.

“Ithaca and Tompkins County have always been supportive of refugees,” Verderosa said. “Community support is needed more than ever to ensure that this family and others can rebuild their lives and pursue their dreams in their new home.”