After a long and difficult road to Milwaukee from Afghanistan, Qadir Shah Hotak is helping other refugees feel at home here. 

Shah Hotak, 24, started his journey to the U.S. in August of 2021, when Afghanistan’s government collapsed. 

He spent months trying to leave the country and then more time trying to settle in New Jersey. He eventually moved to Milwaukee in 2022.

Now, he works as a FoodShare advocate for the Hunger Task Force, helping new refugees access resources.

FoodShare is Wisconsin’s version of the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, formerly known as food stamps.

Shah Hotak said his struggles assimilating to a new culture, mastering a new language and finding belonging in a new community inspired him to want to help others.

“Some groups provide help, but when you are starting a new life, you need more help,” he said. “We didn’t know the culture. We didn’t know the place. We didn’t understand the resources. We didn’t know how to use the technology. So we needed more.” 

Giving others the help he needed

Having grown up in Afghanistan, Shah Hotak understands firsthand the difficulties people face when establishing roots in a new country.

All the things Shah Hotak didn’t understand upon his arrival to the U.S., such as applying for food stamps, school or even using public transportation, are the things he helps others understand. 

He helps new refugees and others who need assistance apply or renew their FoodShare benefits. He also walks them through other systems, like health care, which may not be easy to understand. 

And sometimes he fights for them.

“They don’t understand their rights and responsibilities, so you have to advocate for them while teaching them those things,” Shah Hotak said. “You have to be with them through each interview and simple process because it can get confusing.” 

Acting as a cultural expert

Through Milwaukee’s Hanan Refugees Relief Group, Shah Hotak was introduced to the Hunger Task Force. 

Hunger Task Force works to address hunger and malnutrition by supplying food to those in need and advocating for policies that will create a hunger-free community in the future.

Advocating for refugees is not new for Shah Hotak. He already had experience helping fellow refugees navigate the FoodShare system through an immigration agency in New Jersey. 

Shah Hotak is the only FoodShare advocate of Afghan descent who speaks the two official languages of Afghanistan and acts as a cultural expert for the Hunger Task Force, helping his peers understand different cultures and lived experiences. 

Sheila Badwan, the executive director of the Hanan Refugees Relief Group, said Shah Hotak was eager to help other refugees. The Hanan Refugees Relief Group helped Shah Hotak and his brother when they arrived in Milwaukee in 2022.

“Qadir is so talented and he just wanted to give back,” she said. “Now we send our families to him and he provides education and care for them.” 

Understanding cultural nuances

Shah Hotak said Milwaukee’s refugee community has many cultures and languages but has a large population of Muslims. 

He works with the Hunger Task Force to understand the nuances of Muslim people and their culture, a large part of that being their halal diet, which is a dietary law many Muslims follow. 

As a result of having staff like Shah Hotak to explain cultural differences, the Hunger Task Force now serves a fully halal food pantry at the Hanan Refugees Relief Center, 3927 S. Howell Ave. 

“It was important because many people can’t read the ingredients in the food,” he said. “So we’d see someone go to a food pantry and be so excited for the food they are receiving, not realizing they have pork in their box.”

Sherrie Tussler, CEO of the Hunger Task Force, said it’s important to the agency that it has staff who have different lived experiences and speak various languages to better serve everyone who comes through the door.

“Because sometimes what happens is, cultures meet and they don’t manage well,” she said, “For instance we ran into an issue where people were using their FoodShare cards and throwing them away because they thought it was a gift card.” 

But getting too many replacement cards would put them at risk for fraud, which leads to losing resources, Tussler said.

“It’s difficult because refugees get help for 90 days then they are on their own,” she said.  

For Shah Hotak, helping refugees build better lives is rewarding.    

“Nothing is better than going to sleep each night and then you kind of remember, like what you did today,” he said. “That you helped someone. You helped bring a little change in someone’s life or someone’s day. You brought some positive changes.”

How you can help

Both the Hunger Task Force and Hanan Refugees Relief Group are open to volunteers. Find out more at the Hunger Task Force’s website and follow the Hanan Refugees Relief Group here.