Oct. 5. The Town of Cornelius officially recognized an Afghan family of six that was evacuated from Kabul by the US State Dept. Salim and Najila Hashemi and their four children, who arrived here with little more than the clothes on their backs, received a mayoral proclamation at the Town Board meeting last night welcoming them to Cornelius.

Residents worked together to find them a place to live and furnish it with everything from toys and kids’ backpacks to kitchen towels and beds.

Salim served as an interpreter and translator from September 2017 to October 2020, as well as a trainer for Afghan National Security Forces.

To read the mayor proclamation, click here.

The Hashemi family moved into an apartment near downtown Cornelius in August.