Philly nonprofit, N.J. masjid collect much-needed items for Afghan evacuees at Fort Dix
Thousands of Afghan evacuees are still living at Fort Dix in New Jersey. Philly nonprofit AOPxSOLA has teamed up with Imam Ali Masjid in Pennsauken to bring donated items.
Members of Imam Ali Masjid in Pennsauken teamed up with the Philadelphia-based organization AOPxSOLA on Sunday for the groups’ second donation drive for Afghan evacuees living at Joint Base McGuire Dix Lakehurst.
During this drive, the groups were focused on helping the more than 10,000 Afghan evacuees living at Fort Dix get ready for the colder months. They asked people to donate winter clothing for people of all ages, as well as hygiene supplies, phone chargers, school supplies, and items for the expected newborns of about 300 pregnant women who are living on the military base, according to AOPxSOLA.
Farwa Ahmadi is the director of AOPxSOLA, which was recently formed to represent the Afghan community in Philadelphia, and said many of the donations came from the city.
“We brought four cars of donations here, so this is a joint effort between the Masjid and Philly,” she said.
![Heminghaus.donation pack_001 Farwa Ahmadi, Director of AOPxSOLA, holding up a winter coat that was donated.
A donation pack up for incoming Afghan refugees run by AOPxSOLA and members of Imam Ali Masjid Mosque at Imam Ali Masjid Mosque in Pennsauken, NJ on 11/14/21.
[DANIELLA HEMINGHAUS]](https://whyy.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Heminghaus.donation-pack_001-1600x825.jpg)
![Heminghaus.donation pack_003 Some of the donated strollers.
A donation pack up for incoming Afghan refugees run by AOPxSOLA and members of Imam Ali Masjid Mosque at Imam Ali Masjid Mosque in Pennsauken, NJ on 11/14/21.
[DANIELLA HEMINGHAUS]](https://whyy.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Heminghaus.donation-pack_003-1600x825.jpg)
![Heminghaus.donation pack_004 A donation pack up for incoming Afghan refugees run by AOPxSOLA and members of Imam Ali Masjid Mosque at Imam Ali Masjid Mosque in Pennsauken, NJ on 11/14/21.
[DANIELLA HEMINGHAUS]](https://whyy.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Heminghaus.donation-pack_004-1600x825.jpg)
![Heminghaus.donation pack_005 Sarah Ahmad, a mosque attendee from Moorestown, sorting donations.
A donation pack up for incoming Afghan refugees run by AOPxSOLA and members of Imam Ali Masjid Mosque at Imam Ali Masjid Mosque in Pennsauken, NJ on 11/14/21.
[DANIELLA HEMINGHAUS]](https://whyy.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Heminghaus.donation-pack_005-1600x825.jpg)
![Heminghaus.donation pack_006 [l-r]: Rona Farighi, community outreach and healthcare coordinator at AOPxSOLA, and Tahmina Achekzai, communications manager at AOPxSOLA, sorting donations.
A donation pack up for incoming Afghan refugees run by AOPxSOLA and members of Imam Ali Masjid Mosque at Imam Ali Masjid Mosque in Pennsauken, NJ on 11/14/21.
[DANIELLA HEMINGHAUS]](https://whyy.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Heminghaus.donation-pack_006-1600x825.jpg)
![Heminghaus.donation pack_008 A donation pack up for incoming Afghan refugees run by AOPxSOLA and members of Imam Ali Masjid Mosque at Imam Ali Masjid Mosque in Pennsauken, NJ on 11/14/21.
[DANIELLA HEMINGHAUS]](https://whyy.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Heminghaus.donation-pack_008-1600x825.jpg)
![Heminghaus.donation pack_009 A donation pack up for incoming Afghan refugees run by AOPxSOLA and members of Imam Ali Masjid Mosque at Imam Ali Masjid Mosque in Pennsauken, NJ on 11/14/21.
[DANIELLA HEMINGHAUS]](https://whyy.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Heminghaus.donation-pack_009-1600x825.jpg)
![Heminghaus.donation pack_010 A donation pack up for incoming Afghan refugees run by AOPxSOLA and members of Imam Ali Masjid Mosque at Imam Ali Masjid Mosque in Pennsauken, NJ on 11/14/21.
[DANIELLA HEMINGHAUS]](https://whyy.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Heminghaus.donation-pack_010-1600x825.jpg)
![Heminghaus.donation pack_011 Sarah Ahmad, a mosque attendee from Moorestown, folding clothing donations.
A donation pack up for incoming Afghan refugees run by AOPxSOLA and members of Imam Ali Masjid Mosque at Imam Ali Masjid Mosque in Pennsauken, NJ on 11/14/21.
[DANIELLA HEMINGHAUS]](https://whyy.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Heminghaus.donation-pack_011-1600x825.jpg)
![Heminghaus.donation pack_012 Rona Farighi, community outreach and healthcare coordinator at AOPxSOLA, going through the donations.
A donation pack up for incoming Afghan refugees run by AOPxSOLA and members of Imam Ali Masjid Mosque at Imam Ali Masjid Mosque in Pennsauken, NJ on 11/14/21.
[DANIELLA HEMINGHAUS]](https://whyy.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Heminghaus.donation-pack_012-1600x825.jpg)
From the masjid in Pennsauken, the donations would be packed onto a truck and brought to the joint base. Donors continued to drop off bags of clothing and other goods, even after the group had started to pack up for the day.
“I’m a child of two Afghan immigrants, so seeing everything that’s going on made me feel helpless,” said Sarah Ahmad, a member of Imam Ali. “I was feeling helpless, I was feeling guilty. I didn’t know where to start or how to help.”
Ahmad said the two groups packed up 42 boxes during their last event, and a donor recently dropped off almost 70 strollers. The masjid is also collecting monetary donations on Venmo.
“We’re super grateful,” said Ahmad.
![Heminghaus.donation pack_007 Farwa Ahmadi, Director of AOPxSOLA folding donations.
A donation pack up for incoming Afghan refugees run by AOPxSOLA and members of Imam Ali Masjid Mosque at Imam Ali Masjid Mosque in Pennsauken, NJ on 11/14/21.
[DANIELLA HEMINGHAUS]](https://whyy.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Heminghaus.donation-pack_007-1600x825.jpg)
![Heminghaus.donation pack_013 Mosque attendees and AOPxSOLA members folding clothing donations.
A donation pack up for incoming Afghan refugees run by AOPxSOLA and members of Imam Ali Masjid Mosque at Imam Ali Masjid Mosque in Pennsauken, NJ on 11/14/21.
[DANIELLA HEMINGHAUS]](https://whyy.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Heminghaus.donation-pack_013-1600x825.jpg)
![Heminghaus.donation pack_014 A donation pack up for incoming Afghan refugees run by AOPxSOLA and members of Imam Ali Masjid Mosque at Imam Ali Masjid Mosque in Pennsauken, NJ on 11/14/21.
[DANIELLA HEMINGHAUS]](https://whyy.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Heminghaus.donation-pack_014-1600x825.jpg)
![Heminghaus.donation pack_015 Mir Temory, from Bensalem, and Hung Kong, from Levittown, folding clothing donations.
A donation pack up for incoming Afghan refugees run by AOPxSOLA and members of Imam Ali Masjid Mosque at Imam Ali Masjid Mosque in Pennsauken, NJ on 11/14/21.
[DANIELLA HEMINGHAUS]](https://whyy.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Heminghaus.donation-pack_015-1600x825.jpg)
![Heminghaus.donation pack_016 A donation pack up for incoming Afghan refugees run by AOPxSOLA and members of Imam Ali Masjid Mosque at Imam Ali Masjid Mosque in Pennsauken, NJ on 11/14/21.
[DANIELLA HEMINGHAUS]](https://whyy.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Heminghaus.donation-pack_016-1600x825.jpg)
![Heminghaus.donation pack_017 A donation pack up for incoming Afghan refugees run by AOPxSOLA and members of Imam Ali Masjid Mosque at Imam Ali Masjid Mosque in Pennsauken, NJ on 11/14/21.
[DANIELLA HEMINGHAUS]](https://whyy.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Heminghaus.donation-pack_017-1600x825.jpg)
![Heminghaus.donation pack_018 Zaynab Sultani, from Cherry Hill, taping up full boxes.
A donation pack up for incoming Afghan refugees run by AOPxSOLA and members of Imam Ali Masjid Mosque at Imam Ali Masjid Mosque in Pennsauken, NJ on 11/14/21.
[DANIELLA HEMINGHAUS]](https://whyy.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Heminghaus.donation-pack_018-1600x825.jpg)
![Heminghaus.donation pack_020 [l-r]: Sarah Ahmad, a mosque attendee from Moorestown, Tahmina Achekzai, communications manager at AOPxSOLA, and Rona Farighi, community outreach and healthcare coordinator at AOPxSOLA, sorting donations.
A donation pack up for incoming Afghan refugees run by AOPxSOLA and members of Imam Ali Masjid Mosque at Imam Ali Masjid Mosque in Pennsauken, NJ on 11/14/21.
[DANIELLA HEMINGHAUS]](https://whyy.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Heminghaus.donation-pack_020-1600x825.jpg)
![Heminghaus.donation pack_019 Tahmina Achekzai, communications manager at AOPxSOLA, labeling boxes.
A donation pack up for incoming Afghan refugees run by AOPxSOLA and members of Imam Ali Masjid Mosque at Imam Ali Masjid Mosque in Pennsauken, NJ on 11/14/21.
[DANIELLA HEMINGHAUS]](https://whyy.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Heminghaus.donation-pack_019-1600x825.jpg)
![Heminghaus.donation pack_021 Selli Abdali, Vice President of AOPxSOLA, packing up donations.
A donation pack up for incoming Afghan refugees run by AOPxSOLA and members of Imam Ali Masjid Mosque at Imam Ali Masjid Mosque in Pennsauken, NJ on 11/14/21.
[DANIELLA HEMINGHAUS]](https://whyy.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Heminghaus.donation-pack_021-1600x825.jpg)
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