Who we are

Afghan Refugee Relief is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization (Federal Tax # 93-1556038) created by refugees, children of refugees, and the local Southern California community. Our team is comprised of senior executives, college students, doctors, lawyers, elders and everything in between. We accept everyone’s contributions to our mission, and our mission increasingly grows to support greater initiatives, greater communities including our Ukrainian refugees, and beyond.

We partner closely with community organizations, local nonprofits, resettlement agencies, religious institutions and passionate volunteers focused on helping refugees, asylum-seekers and humanitarian parolees resettle in Southern California.

Our partners include but are not limited to: Google, Welcome.US, Uber, Amazon, Target, International Institute of Los Angeles, International Rescue Committee, Integrated Refugee and Immigrant Services, Afghan Literacy Foundation, Orange County Islamic Foundation, Sabil USA, Access California, Uplift, World Relief, Islamic Relief USA, Help The Afghans, Afghan-American Cultural Center, Second Families, Islamic Center of Irvine, Afghan American Foundation, Tiyya Foundation, Second Families, International Orphan Care, World Orphanage Foundation and more.

Board of Directors

  • Dr. Metra Azar-Salem

    President / Executive Director

  • Mojgan Rafiq

    CFO / Treasurer

  • Hoomai Sayed

    Secretary

  • Zoleikha Ebadi

    Staff

  • Dr. Saman Hamidi-Azar

    Staff

  • Sameyia Hossein

    Staff

  • Laila Waziri

    Staff

Advisory Board

  • Nazi Etemadi

    Philanthropist

  • Iman Ghanizada

    Tech Executive

  • Neimat Hamidzada

    L.A. Emergency Manager

  • Salmon Hossein

    Lawyer

  • Madina Nooristani

    Director of Product Mgmt

Our Partners

1736 Family Crisis Center

Access California

Access California

Afghan American Community Organization

Afghan American Foundation

Afghan Literacy Foundation

Afghan-American Cultural Center

Amazon

Baby2Baby

Careprovider.org Foundation

Catholic Charities

Chapman University

County of Orange

Crittenton Child and Family Services

CSUN MSA

Diaper Bank OC

DoorDash

Evacuate Our Allies Coalition

Families Forward

FAMVANS

Fanous Mediterranean Grill

First5 California

Google

Hasbro

Homes for Refugees

ICNA Relief

Integrated Refugee and Immigrant Services

International Institute of Los Angeles

International Orphan Care

International Rescue Committee

Islamic Center of Irvine

Islamic Center of Reseda

Islamic Center of Southern California

Islamic Center of Yorba Linda

Islamic Relief USA

iSweets and Delights Bakery

Khan Saab Desi Craft Kitchen

LA County Refugee Taskforce

Los Angeles County

Lyft

Miry's List

New Horizon School, Irvine

OC Women’s Mission

Orange County Islamic Foundation

PANA Partnership for the Advancement of New Americans

Pars Equality Center

Pretend City Children’s Museum

Refugee Program Bureau

Ross Clothing Stores

Sabil USA

Saddleback Church

Save the Children

SBTN Vietnamese TV

Sears

Second Families

Shalizi Foundation

South Bay Children’s Clinic

St. Joseph’s Hospital

The Elf Project

The Majlis

The Office of Refugee Resettlement

The Young Center

Tiyya Foundation

Uber

UCLA Afghan Student Association

UCLA United Afghan Club

University of Southern California Afghan Student Association

Uplift Charity

USC

USC School of Film and Keck School of Medicine

Welcome.us

West Coast University

With You Foundation

World Orphanage Foundation

World Relief

Zappos