TAMPA, Fla. — Starting over in a foreign country for Mohammad Sharif Sharifi and his family hasn't been easy, he says, but it has been a blessing. 

“We are very happy and we love it," he said.

He and his family are among some 400 Afghan refugees who are now calling Tampa Bay home, and thanks to organizations like Lutheran Services of Florida and Westminster Communities of Florida, families like Mohammad’s not only have a home to live in, but also jobs and the means to live in their new lives.

“They helped us with financial aid. They provided all of the stuff in the home. They provide us good furniture. They provide us good kitchen stuff. They provide us good everything," he said.

Thursday night, a banquet was held to celebrate new beginnings for these families and new friendships for everyone involved, and despite arriving just more than a month ago, Mohammad says Tampa Bay is already feeling like home.

“The day which we came here and got a job and we started our normal life, we don’t think now that this is our safe home,” Mohammad said. “It is our real home and we are very happy.”