Ahmed Nabizada remembers standing in the candle section on one of his days as a Walmart department manager. As he looked at the rows of candles of all shapes and sizes, he worried. Originally from Kabul, Afghanistan, he had just moved to the United States from Pakistan. He was concerned his first job was going to be a failure, because there were simply too many candles to sell.

Eventually, he worked up the courage to talk to his manager. Electricity was available everywhere, so why would anyone ever buy a candle?

To his relief, his manager explained the candles were used for their scent – not for lighting, as had been the case in Afghanistan.

艾哈迈德（Ahmed）现在是弗吉尼亚州斯特林（Sterling）的沃尔玛超级中心（Walmart Supercenter）2038年的商店经理，今天可以笑。他在他的商店里，那里的同事来自50多个国家 /地区，他讲述了数十个故事。他的信息很简单：在沃尔玛，您可以成为您想要的一切。这里有您的道路。如果您愿意问问题并学习，那么您会很好。

We’ve always been proud to support our communities and our country, and we’re uniquely positioned to help refugees fleeing Afghanistan in search of a fresh start in the U.S. Whether our new neighbors need day-to-day essentials, life-saving medicine or simply the opportunity to build a career, we’re prepared to help.

Earlier this year, Walmart and the Walmart Foundation contributed a total of $1.5 million to support incoming refugees, our veterans and their families.

Since our last更新, we’ve focused on two main areas: 1.) Supporting refugees on military bases as they first arrive in the U.S. and 2.) preparing our associates and communities to welcome our new neighbors once they’ve left the bases and settled in their new homes around the country.

沃尔玛（Walmart）继续支持Welcome.us联盟的使命，该联盟致力于支持不断发展的运动，以帮助我们的新阿富汗邻国开始新的生活。我们很荣幸成为最早与国家安置机构，军事基地，白宫，国家非政府组织和其他公司并排合作的公司之一Welcome.US/exchangeplatform, which matches needs with资源。

We’re also looking for ways we can leverage our resources to provide more direct support. For example, at Fort Pickett in Virginia and Fort McCoy in Wisconsin, our Health & Wellness teams have provided medical items to thousands of refugees living on base as part of欢迎盟友行动。和沃尔玛的Registry for Goodconnects nonprofits supporting Afghan refugees with our customers who want to donate and help with needed supplies. Since September, customers have donated through two registries supporting refugee efforts:Catholic CharitiesLa Crosse Inc和Salvation Armyin Wisconsin.

As refugees leave bases in the weeks ahead, we’re preparing to support our new neighbors through access to jobs where they can apply existing skills and learn new ones. Associates in our stores are receiving training to make sure they’re ready to support the unique needs of these new associates. Our People associates have been trained in everything from working with nontraditional forms of identification to supporting associates who have endured trauma. It’s all aimed at making Walmart a place where everyone has the opportunity to grow and thrive.

Ahmed’s story is not unique – nor should it be. Whether we’re serving our veterans or our new neighbors, we take pride in the fact that our stores reflect the communities we serve and we look forward to continuing that legacy in the months ahead.