Elevating Voices and Creating Change
THE SETTING
Two years after the fall of Kabul, with more than 160,000 Afghan allies resettling in the United States, and tens of thousands still in Afghanistan and around the world awaiting their turn, we wanted to spotlight their adversities and achievements an bring their lived experiences into the public eye. As refugees plights are often relegated to political talking points, it was important to humanize Afghans' journeys and keep their stories alive in the ever-competitive news cycle. We focused on often sensitive issues such as mental health, employment hurdles, and the ongoing advocacy for an Afghan Adjustment Act, which would provide a legal pathway to citizenship. We wanted to bring awareness to what happens after our allies and partners, now refugees, first resettle, after those initial “90 days” of Reception and Placement funding, and after that bright welcome is out of the spotlight. We also wanted to acknowledge how our allies continue giving back to America once in the United States.This campaign was on behalf of Lutheran Social Services of the National Capital Area (LSSNCA). Since 1917, LSSNCA, a human services and immigration relief and refugee welcome agency, has accompanied those in need throughout Maryland, Virginia, and the Washington D.C. metro area to foster resiliency, self-sufficiency, and access to opportunities by creating, connecting with, and engaging welcoming communities. LSSNCA has provided resettlement services to the largest number of Afghan Allies - 6,000+ - on the East Coast since the fall of Kabul in 2021.
Sharing hopes, dreams, and fears.
Recognizing the power of storytelling to connect with audiences, we focused on impactful narratives that resonated with both veteran and broader communities, pitching to local and national media to share compelling stories.
Our campaign was driven by the compelling and authentic storytelling of individual Afghan allies and foster families. Evocative stories shed light on the resilience, strength, and determination of families and individuals as they adapted to their new lives in America.
WE HAVE MORE IN COMMON
Through our campaign, we brought to light a spectrum of stories that underscore relatable challenges like post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), working in the same resettlement space that welcomed them only recently, underemployment, and even the simple yet significant task of learning how to drive. We were also sensitive to the profound moral injury experienced by veterans involved in the Afghanistan evacuation.
PRESS + MEDIA OUTREACH
We researched journalists with a connection to these stories and tailored pitches to media outlets that showed interest in our immediate community including: Afghan allies; immigration, refugees, resettlement; and veteran and military communities. Tactics included keying into veteran and military publications, hoping to draw on the strong relationship between the military and veteran communities with Afghan allies. We also approached local and national media platforms, and lifestyle outlets – which included pitches for Father’s Day about an unaccompanied Afghan child who was fostered by an American veteran and his wife. BEYOND JUST A PITCH
We secured interest and placements, providing background interviews, both on and off the record interviews, and connectingjournalists with resettlement and military/veteran advocates to further amplify the realities faced by our new neighbors. We also crafted opinion pieces, letters to the editor, and a blog as well as incorporating timed social media posts to promote the stories and topics of interest.Campaign Results
Secured placements, with syndication, in national and international media outlets including Reuters, NPR, and Stars & Stripes. A feature in Military Times also sparked interest from CBS for a documentary.Challenged stigmas with a focus on mental health struggles of allies and veterans in military publications. There was also ongoing interest for mental health support stories from The Washington Post and other outlets.Generated positive feedback from readers and helped humanize the experiences of Afghan allies, fostering empathy and understanding.Amplified myriad Afghan allies voices to a broader audience, showing refugees aren't a monolith, and driving meaningful conversations on immigration reform.Named PR Daily 2024 Nonprofit Communications Awards Finalist with Honorable Mention for Advocacy or Awareness Campaigns.
