Miry's List helping refugee families in SoCal

LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- Basic supplies like shampoo, soap or diapers may be taken for granted by many families, but for refugees who arrive in the United States with nothing they are difficult to obtain.

Miry's List is looking to help.

Miry Whitehill-Ben Atar founded Miry's List a year ago. She started by just posting on Facebook that she was looking for toys for a refugee family from Syria. A neighbor posted back and provided some that her own son had stopped using.

Eventually the effort grew into an organization that has since helped 100 refugee families.

"We offer them things, services and people that they need to feel safe," Whitehill said.

Miry's List helped Tamim Elham, an Afghan refugee who arrived in Los Angeles with his family in March. He feared for his life because he was helping allied troops.

Miry's List helped him find a family to stay with for two months, and then get money for an apartment.

Without them, "it would have been 100 times more difficult," he said.

"When you come here, if you are having hope, if you're having a plan for the future, you can reach your goal," Elham said.