The Public Interest Law Society and Veteran Advocacy Club student organizations at LSU Law are seeking volunteers to assist with the resettlement of refugees from Afghanistan in Baton Rouge.
The LSU Law student organizations are working in partnership with the LSU Student Veteran Organization as well as Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Baton Rouge, which is assisting with the relocation of as many as 100 families of refugees from the war-torn nation. Some of the families have already arrived in Baton Rouge and more are expected in the coming months.
Volunteers are needed to help provide a wide variety of legal and non-legal assistance to families relocating to the area. The LSU Law student organizations began signing up volunteers in late November and roughly 30 students have stepped forward to help thus far, but more are needed. Everyone who signs up to volunteer will be contacted following the fall semester final exams with more information on how they can help.
The LSU Law PILS student organization is leading the effort to provide pro bono legal assistance to refugees, which will include general assistance with legal forms and bureaucracy as well as assisting attorneys who will be representing refugees in their efforts to be awarded asylum and achieve permanent resident status. Those interested in volunteering to assist with this work can contact PILS Pro Bono Chair Madeline Meyers at mmeye36@lsu.edu or PILS Pro Bono Vice Chair Adreaynne Hutchison at ahutc22@lsu.edu.
Along with PILS, the LSU Law Veteran Advocacy Club is leading the effort to provide moving, transportation, and other general assistance for refugees, as well as help collect donated supplies. Those interested in helping with these efforts can contact PILS Community Service Chair Helen Martin at hmart34@lsu.edu, PILS Community Service Vice Chair Blaike Ordes at bordes2@lsu.edu, Veteran Advocacy Club member Andrea Houghtaling at ahough3@lsu.edu, or Veteran Advocacy Club Vice President Broxton Harvey at bharv16@lsu.edu.
The LSU Law student organizations are also working with the LSU Student Veteran Organization to help provide English language instruction to refugees. Interested volunteers for this effort can contact PILS Education and Youth Outreach Chair Matt McCain at mmccai8@lsu.edu.
Donations of furniture, cash, and gift cards are also being collected for refugees, and those interested in assisting with fundraising efforts can contact PILS Philanthropy Chair Karleigh Gwyn at kgwyn3@lsu.edu.
For general inquiries about all volunteering opportunities, please contact PILS President Chance Carter at kcart56@lsu.edu, LSU Law Veteran Advocacy Club President Jolanda Greene at jgre223@lsu.edu, or Professor John Devlin at jdevlin@lsu.edu.
Those interested in getting more information about volunteering opportunities through Catholic Charities can visit www.ccdiobr.org/afghanrefugees.
