Aurora arts and languages among the focus of $6 million statewide Afghan refugee grants

AURORA  | Several Aurora nonprofit groups were among the list of organizations that recently received grants from the Rose Community Foundation to support Afghan refugees in Colorado, including The Village Institute and Aurora Mental Health and Recovery.

In total, the foundation distributed $6 million in grants to organizations across the state that provide support to Afghan refugees in three separate categories: legal services, mental health needs and support in schools.

The money came from the federal government and was sent to the Colorado Department of Human Services, which chose to partner with Rose to distribute it to other organizations, said vice president of public affairs Sarah Kurz. The unique arrangement allowed Rose to reach smaller nonprofits that otherwise might have had a hard time putting together an application to receive a federal grant, a process which is “very complicated.”

“We wanted to reach organizations that may not be typical recipients of federal dollars,” Kurz said.

She highlighted Roshni as an example, a small Aurora nonprofit group that received a grant of $121,000 for arts-focused community programming under the mental health section of the application.

Also in the mental health category, Aurora Mental Health and Recovery received a grant of about $336,000 and The Village Institute a grant of about $261,000.

Since Aurora has such a large refugee population, Kurz said she imagines many of its residents will be served by the organizations with Denver addresses as well, which include the ADCD African Community Center, the Archdiocese of Denver and Jewish Family Services of Colorado.

“This is an important part of the population in Aurora that we want to help feel welcome,” Kurz said.

When putting together the application, Kurz said Rose focused on groups that had a proven track record of working with immigrants and refugees. Along with nonprofits the foundation also allocated money to the four school districts in Colorado with the largest number of refugees, including Aurora Public Schools and Cherry Creek.

APS, which has the highest number of refugee students in the state, received over $700,000 from the grant cycle while Cherry Creek received about $183,000. The money will go toward services that help integrate refugee youth into the student body, including ensuring schools have adequate translation services in both of Afghanistan’s main languages, Dari and Pashto.

“It’s not something every school gets just with per-pupil revenue funding,” Kurz said.

The grants cover 18 months, with the funding expected to run through October of 2024. 

Kurz said the many different organizations involved show how committed Colorado is to welcoming immigrants and refugees. Overall, about 3,000 Afghans have arrived in Colorado since August 2021, with more refugees from countries including Ukraine and Cuba.

“Diversity is Colorado’s strength, and we are proud to welcome and support brave Afghan evacuees who worked alongside American forces as they rebuild their lives here,” said Governor Jared Polis said in a statement. “These exciting grants provide important support for newcomers, from mental health services to legal aid and school-based assistance, as we continue our work to make sure everyone can live, work, and thrive here in Colorado.”