My friend, I hope this finds you well. I wanted to share a powerful experience I had this past Saturday. Late last week, I received word from one of our partner organizations of a family in duress in Riverdale, MD. On Saturday, I drove to a rundown apartment complex (a slum if I'm being honest, but better than the cold winter streets), to meet an Iraqi (who served as a translator to the US military) and his family. They faced imminent eviction after the organization tasked with originally helping them resettle in America abandoned months earlier. Thanks to your support, we paid off their back rent – preventing eviction – and funded the family’s move to Phoenix, AZ where a job, a clean home, and a community await to welcome them. What made this case so special, however, was the man’s story. When I asked him when he started translating for the US military, he responded “when the Marines first came to my village in 2003.” Shocked I asked, “You’ve been translating for the US since the invasion?” He replied, “No! You must never call it that. It was a liberation! You freed my family from Saddam. What I did, I proudly did for my country and yours.” Regardless of your feelings towards the Iraq War, the fact remains that this man and his family are here now because of what transpired so many years ago. And, yet, given all that’s transpired since, he remains profoundly thankful to the United States. It broke my heart to think that a country he admires so much, could do so little to help them find a place in their new home. Its events like this that remind me why our work is so important. I hope you’ll share my immense feeling of pride in the work we accomplish and for the support of friends like you. Tonight, an Iraqi family remains in their home – all because of your support. For that, you have my unending thanks. If you’d like to continue to support our work, please consider a contribution. https://nolb.nationbuilder.com/contribute -Cheers, Matt