My name is Michael "Mike" Crandall and I am a retired veteran who last served in Afghanistan in 2008. During this deployment I had the honor of working with an interpreter named Wahid whose family "adopted" me. For those who are unaware the Afghan interpreters who served with us risked their lives on a daily basis in their support of the U.S. / NATO military. Our Government promised to protect the interpreters and their families if they served with us. Veterans see those who served with us as "brothers in arms" and not "refugees". I started Afghan Promise to help get "MY" Afghan family out of danger. We were able to secure Wahid evacuation in 2014 to Sweden where he resides today. He applied for a Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) but the U.S. needed him to return to Kabul to finish his immigration paperwork which was not feasible or safe for him to do so since there was already a price on his head.
His brother, Masih, worked on HKIA (Kabul Airport) for NATO and US forces right up until our withdrawal from Afghanistan in August 2021. Through the dedication of those he had diligently worked for over a period of 10 years we were able to obtain NATO passes of evacuation for Masih and the entire family. Sadly, the family were at the gate when the infamous explosion happened and the family was unable to get on the airfield and Masih had to make the gut wrenching decision to escape and then fight to rescue his family. Masih has a SIV application in the system listing his wife and two beautiful children. He currently is residing in the U.S. and is hopeful that we can not only get his immediate family out of harms way but also his Mother, Father and younger brother.
I started a "GoFundMe" in the beginning with the hopes of raising $35,000 to support the evacuation of Wahid/Masih's family. Since that time I have had the great fortune to meet some wonderful people along this journey and founded the IRS 501(c)(3) Charity, Afghan Promise to not only help "My" family but spread the word and hopefully help other families also in need. With fellow veteran organizations we are hopeful to find ways to safely get Afghans at risk out of Afghanistan. As with most things in life it takes time and comes with a cost. Your tax deductible donation funds food, shelter and the hopeful evacuation of those at risk Afghan allies. $125 feeds a family for a month, while the estimated cost of evacuation is approximately $3500 per person. We cannot do this alone. The hardest thing for a veteran to do is ask for help but we do need your support.
Can you donate and / or spread the word? 100 people donating $35 (a cup of coffee a day for a Week) saves one person's life!!
5 people donating $25 / month feeds a family while we wait on evacuation.
Start a group of friends, co-workers, church members to sponsor a family.
Some preferred (GoFundMe charges fees) easy, direct options below:
Venmo - @afghanpromise
PayPal - support@afghanpromise.com
Afghan Promise is a registered Non-Profit in the State of Colorado and is recognized by the IRS as a 501(c)(3) Charity allowing all donations to be tax deductible.
We are working with the U.S. State Department, other veteran organizations to find any means to help those at risk Afghans and their families find safe passage out of Afghanistan.
The progress has been unbearably slow with very little Government support.
We need support in funding travel, passports and other documentation requirements.
Most Afghans who supported the US / NATO forces are now in hiding with literal "bounties" on their heads. They, along with their families, are starving after a year of constantly moving to stay hidden.
$125 feeds a family for one month. We need your support to save these lives.
You can help adopt a family.
Our team maintains outreach to our Government officials from around the country. We need not only their support but their ACTION to not let this travesty fade away.
We need YOUR help as well. Please contact your Congressional Representative and Senator and let them know this is not only a Veteran's issue but a National issue. The U.S. Government made promises it needs to keep.
The video on the left is an interview recorded off the TV of a local telethon supporting recent Afghan arrivals where I discuss the need for support.
The link below is an interview for KOAA TV where both I and Masih speak of the dire situation in Afghanistan.