Bannockburn Moms Without Borders, an informal group of moms who have known each other since their now-grown kids were in kindergarten at Bannockburn Elementary School, are working with other groups to provide food to more than 50 Afghan refugee families being housed temporarily at a hotel in Bethesda.
Connecting with Nourishing Bethesda and St. John’s Norwood Episcopal Church in February, the moms pitched in and purchased hundreds of loaves of bread from Yekta Market. The culturally-appropriate bread was a huge hit and so they decided to supplement it with feta cheese, dried fruits, and nuts, explained Sarah Craven of 81st Street. Sarah and Nooshen Amiri of Bethesda brought the idea of aiding Afghan refugees to their mom’s group, which had participated in community service projects together with their kids throughout the years.
The moms have been asked to continue their efforts until the end of May when all of the families are expected to be relocated. They are asking for help to ensure that they can provide enough food so that every family gets what it needs. Each week they spend some $400 and to date they have only raised about $2,500.
They calculate that they need at least another $2,500 to cover the upcoming weeks. Sarah says any additional funds raised will go towards more food and toiletries as these families came to the United States with little more than the clothes on their backs.
To contribute to this effort – Venmo your donation to @Kathy-Oconnor-17151. She is the Bannockburn mom and CPA serving as treasurer for the group. If you would rather donate by check, please contact Sarah Craven at lovecraven@gmail.com to make arrangements.