Ms. Arsala has spent the past 26 years assisting SF Bay Area Afghan refugees, and has been especially active in providing aid to Afghan war widows in Afghanistan and Pakistan. Her ideas helped launch the Grants for Self-Reliance project, and she was instrumental in acquiring most of the contributions for the Afghan Freedom Quilt project.

As a welfare-to-work mother, Ms. Arsala became a Family Resource Specialist for Fremont Healthy Start; founded the Women's Dialogue Group; co-founded the Afghan Widow's Project; became a SAVE counselor; and was a founding member of the Afghan Women's Association International.