Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. often spoke of the end goal of his activism as the “beloved community,” a love and understanding among all people that “will transform the deep gloom of the old age into the exuberant gladness of the new age.”

It was in that spirit that more than three hundred people from all walks of life came together last Monday in Omaha to break bread with one another and to serve their community in the name of Dr. King.

As the Taliban resurges in Afghanistan and uncertainty builds about a potential troop withdrawal, there is a new sense of urgency to provide safe haven for Afghans who helped U.S. forces. “Every day of this slowdown in processing exposes more and more allies to reprisals from the Taliban and other hostile militant groups,” said Adam Bates, policy counsel at the International Refugee Assistance Project. Congress has not allocated new visas for 2019.

by Cress Clippard

On Friday night, I was wrapping up at work when I got an email about Mohasif Motawakil.

VFAI leaders Emma Stokien and Eric Altamura talk with an attendee at Student Veterans of America's National Conference, January 3-6, 2019 in Orlando, Florida.

By Eric Altamura

And so our work continues in acting, in seeking to be in the arena of citizenship. With all the challenges we face, I must express my gratitude to you for stepping forward as uniters and citizens who believe that this great country requires much from every person so blessed to call it home.

I hope to remind every veteran they have so much value and worth, and that we can continue our mission by uniting, leading, and serving our communities. If not for us, and the inherent pride it brings, then for the future generations. Our children deserve the best we can give them; a solid foundation of character, knowledge, and freedom.  

As someone who came to America as a young man, I want immigrants who come to this country to have the support and opportunity I had when I arrived from Ireland. The local allies who supported our military in Iraq and Afghanistan—who received visas under the Special Immigrant Visa program—don’t have the same networks to leverage. In Boston, I’m building long-term relationships with our wartime allies and refugees from other countries in the hopes of accelerating and easing their transition into America.