About Amshera
About Us
A nonprofit organization assisting Afghan refugee families in Fort Worth, Texas.
2021: Where It All Began
2021: Where It All Began
Everything started when the scenes from the withdrawal from Afghanistan were aired all over the media outlets. Angie Kraus, the founder of Amshera, couldn’t sit idly by with so many Afghan families in need. So, she completed a volunteer orientation with the Refugee Services of Texas to start doing her part. What began as volunteer service quickly turned into a mission.
Angie received the opportunity to pick up an Afghan family directly from the airport and realized how much more of a difference she could make. She continued to work with and help this family by learning English. Then, she met their neighbors and started working with more families. Before long, the very first Afghan man that Angie had met pointed out that many of the others referred to her as his sister. While starting to learn the Afghan language and dialects, she learned that Amshera meant “sister” in the Dari language.
From One Family To Many
From One Family To Many
The mission became much larger than one person providing help. What began as assisting one family, and then their neighbors, became over 90 different Afghan families in one year and as of August 2023 has reached 155 families. Thus, the nonprofit organization “Amshera” was born complete with a 501(c)(3) status. Creating the organization creates better opportunities to provide crucial support and supplies to the families.
Assistance provided to the families quickly expanded beyond providing items and clothing. Angie understood that support services would be just as important as material goods. While Amshera takes donations, both money and physical items, it also assists the Afghan families with vital service assistance. These services include various things ranging from reading mail to scheduling appointments to registering children for school.
The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.
Matthew 25:40
Meet The Amshera Board of Directors
Angie Kraus
Laurie
Laurie Harrington was born in Shreveport, Louisiana and raised in Dallas, Texas. Her passion has always been with children and young adults; she worked in schools throughout her community for many years. Laurie and her husband Vince share the dedication to their faith and the community in which they live. Laurie is committed to walking beside families assisting where necessary, and by example, creating a habit of serving others. Laurie earned a Bachelor of Science degree and went on to become a Fort Worth Police Officer, protecting and serving her community for 28 years retiring as a detective.
Cindy Holcomb
Cindy has more than 20 years of accounting experience. She spent most of her life in Austin but moved to Asheville, NC a few years ago with her husband Richard. She has two children. She met Angie at Texas Tech where they were roommates!
Randall Smith
The newest addition to the Amshera team, Randall Smith graduated NC State with a degree in Biology. He went on to receive a Masters of Divinity from the Mid-America Baptist Theological Seminary in 1988 and appointed by the International Mission Board, SBC, in 1990. For 18 years, Randall serviced as a church planter and strategy coordinator in the Philippines and East Asia. Now he is continuing his ministry and philanthropy by joining our team here in Fort Worth, Texas.
Want To Help? Here’s How
Donations
Many of the refugee families from Afghanistan came to the United States with little to no basic necessities. Your donations go towards making sure they have what they need so that they can live a comfortable life.
Volunteering
With over 155 families to help, it can take up a lot of time. By lending your time, you can help us to ensure that more families are assisted in a timely manner so that they can get the services that they need.
Mentorship
Make a big impact by becoming a much-needed mentor for Afghan refugee families. Assist with learning English, accessing ESL services, obtaining healthcare, gaining employment, and more.