The publication is reproduced in full below:
HONORING CHRISTOPHER PUMFORD OF HOWELL FOR HIS WORK WITH AFGHAN
REFUGEES
______
HON. ELISSA SLOTKIN
of michigan
in the house of representatives
Friday, October 14, 2022
Ms. SLOTKIN. Madam Speaker, today I rise to give voice to the quiet heroism of a young man who has dedicated his time, talent, and treasure to the safekeeping and evacuation of refugee families from Afghanistan. Christopher Pumford of Howell has logged hundreds of volunteer hours with The Fletcher Afghanistan Evacuation & Resettlement Working Group, a grassroots organization that provides emergency support and resettlement assistance to Afghans.
When Afghanistan fell to the Taliban on August 15, 2021, the resulting humanitarian crisis gripped our hearts and souls. As we watched Afghans and foreign nationals seek refuge from assured atrocities and even death at the hands of the Taliban, a small group of advocates representing the very best among us stepped up to find ways to protect the allies that had once protected our own. Christopher Pumford was one of them.
Mr. Pumford, a proud graduate of the University of Michigan and the Fletcher School of International Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University, joined the evacuation effort in the fall of 2021. Since then, he has worked in both fundraising and finance, and serves as the lead volunteer responsible for dispersing funds to Afghans in hiding to cover the costs of safe houses. He also tracks and manages reimbursement for food drops for these same refugees. His faithful efforts are credited with sustaining the lives of 18 families throughout the most harrowing year. On top of that, he has personally registered more than 100 families for evacuation consideration with the United States Department of State. In less than one year's time, Mr. Pumford has devoted more than 800 hours of service to assisting these families with the enormous challenges of food, shelter, and security, and has done everything in his power to prepare them for a better future.
Despite his young age, Mr. Pumford's resume is already quite impressive, having interned for the Senate of Canada, the International Center for Religion and Diplomacy, the delegation of the European Union to the United States, USAID, and the Middle East Institute. He is also a graduate of Harvard Law School's program on negotiation, and spent last summer on a Fulbright Scholarship to Morocco. But what stands out most to me is his dedication to humanity, his investment in the plight of strangers, and his commitment to use his skills and talents in the service of the most vulnerable.
We know that evacuation efforts from Afghanistan will continue for years, and it's entirely possible that Mr. Pumford will never meet the families he is working so hard to protect and rescue from the clutches of the Taliban. But their hearts will forever carry the story of the stranger who cared enough to help. On behalf of those who have no voice, it is my honor to speak these words of tribute for Christopher Pumford of Howell, Michigan in the People's House.
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SOURCE: Congressional Record Vol. 168, No. 163(1), Congressional Record Vol. 168, No. 163(2)
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