Ulster County Nonprofit to Host Harvest Fest for Afghan Refugees

The Department of Homeland Security ended temporary protected status, or TPS, in May for Afghan immigrants looking to resettle in the United States. Still, that hasn’t stopped community members in Ulster County from supporting their neighbors.

Radio Catskill’s Kimberly Izar spoke with Robert Sabuda, founder of nonprofit organization Plutarch for Refugees, about the need to support the growing population of recently arrived Afghan refugees in the Hudson Valley.

“The population currently is probably 75 to 100 [Afghan refugees], whereas before I know for a fact it was one,” said Sabuda.

Plutarch for Refugees is a volunteer organization helping refugees resettle in Ulster County. They will host its annual Harvest Fest on Sunday, Oct. 19 from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. in Highland with music, traditional Afghan food, arts and crafts, and a silent art auction.

The recent elimination of the TPS program under the Trump administration has made the work of Plutarch for Refugees especially challenging. In January, President Trump signed an executive order suspending the U.S. Refugee Admission Program that helps admit refugees for resettlement.

“It has been devastating that so many Afghans are now stuck, whereas before they had a path to come to the United States, so that has been very, very difficult for us here,” said Sabuda. “That by no means says that we will not continue to the support the families who were fortunate enough to arrive.”

Sabuda says that finding stable housing remains the biggest challenge for refugees settling in Ulster County.

READ: Short-Term Rental Surge Threatening Ulster County’s Housing Stock, Comptroller Finds

But Sabuda says that Ulster County residents have stepped up to provide emergency housing for refugees in need of housing.

The festival will take place at 10 Horse Arts Center, 67 Black Creek Road, Highland. Event admission is free and is rain or shine.

Image: Plutarch for Refugees volunteers from 2022 event (Photo Credit: Plutarch for Refugees)