Food on the Move, FC Tulsa welcome Afghan families in their first outing since arrival
TULSA, Okla. (KTUL) — Dozens of families from Afghanistan have been arriving in the Tulsa area over the last month, fleeing from the crisis in Afghanistan.
On Saturday, those families were welcomed to an FC Tulsa soccer match and treated to dinner prior to the game, all provided through Food on the Move and FC Tulsa.
“We want to show our new neighbors what the Tulsa community is like,” said Food On The Move Executive Director Kevin Harper. “They have been through a lot over the past few months, it is our desire to display Tulsa’s hospitality at its finest, which is why we contacted FC Tulsa.”
This is the community's first outing in the Tulsa area since their arrival. Food on the Move also recently partnered with Catholic Charities to provide daily meals for the refugees as they transition into longer accommodations in Tulsa. "We were humbled to provide an experience on Saturday night that could be fun and uplifting to nearly 200 Afghani refugees now living in Tulsa," said FC Tulsa president James Cannon. "When it came to our attention that these refugees were soccer fans, we couldn't act quick enough to get them out to our big rivalry match and gift some FC Tulsa gear. We appreciate the work put in by Catholic Charities and Food on the Move to make Saturday night special for these new Tulsans."