As I write this, we are 3 days away from moving our sponsored Afghan refugee family into their apartment. Our #TogetherForAfghanistan project has been a labor of love since we kicked it off last September, and Juan and I are thankful to the kindness and generosity of all of YOU for supporting this worthy cause. The family includes 2 adults and 4 children, and as a mother myself, I feel that our efforts will bring comfort to these vulnerable children. I am filled with gratitu

I'm happy to report that a large portion of the items needed to outfit the entire household for our Afghani family are almost all collected. Thank you to our many friends, family and supporters who have chipped in, sending needed items and/or cash to help us check off the litany of items needed from the apartment set-up list. Our next step is to finalize our large furniture purchases and procurement, and work with the International Rescue Committee of Atlanta to get a moving

Greetings from Darcy and Juan! If you've been following our journey, then you know that not only with your generous help have we been able to raise $10,450 to support the International Rescue Committee's resettlement efforts in Atlanta, but that we are committed to fostering an Afghan refugee family! The fundraising campaign ENDS January 31st, but we're just getting started collecting the items needed to set up our Afghani family for their permanent housing. Once all the purc

See this list? It represents our next step towards getting our assigned family set up in their permanent housing. We need YOU to help make it happen! I am happy to report that, with your generous support, we have raised $10,400 to support the International Rescue Committee of Atlanta's mission to resettle 860 Afghan allies—over 400 of whom have arrived already—and 900 refugees from other crisis zones in FY '22. Many of the families that are already here in Georgia are living

After months of preparation, I am happy to report that I ended up a semi-finalist at the 2021 Mrs. America pageant, held at the Westgate Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas. A highlight of my 10-day trip was presenting this custom-made dress at our Dignitary Dinner, attended by over 200 guests and included Mr. and Mrs. David Siegel, owner of Westgate Resorts! I commissioned this original gown from Olga Ngalula of Mke Mwema Creative Fashion in an effort to highlight the work of a re

I am happy to report that in my last trip to the IRC Atlanta office, I was able to deliver 5 car seats, which are urgently needed to accommodate the families arriving from Afghanistan with small children. I'm headed there again tomorrow (Friday 11/4), so if you'd like to participate, you can Venmo your donation to @Darcy-Castro, and I will make another stop for purchases before I go tomorrow. Families are arriving in Georgia from Afghanistan as we speak, and the staff of the

Meet Olga. She's a professional seamstress originally from the Democratic Republic of Congo, and a refugee that has benefitted from the International Rescue Committee's (IRC) resettlement programs. In fact, Olga has been a part of their business development program, receiving guidance from a volunteer mentor to help establish her own business and contribute to the local economy. I've hired Olga to create a custom dress for me to wear at Mrs. America, and I'm happy to report t

The call was for TEN tea kettles to be donated in one day to provide comfort for refugee Afghani families, and my community delivered in lightening speed! Thank you Tim & Rhonda, Claire, Anna, Cass and Megan for making this happen in record time. I know the generous spirits of each one of you, and I am so proud to have you in my circle. Thank you! There are still LOTS of personal care items needed, especially those that benefit women and children, just waiting to be purchased