 We must help and support No One Left Behind. These translators put themselves and their families on the line, wore a bullseye and still do, for the United States of America. They are one of us no matter where they are from. Please send whatever you can to help them. Amanda (Mandy) Matti’s two memoirs are about her and her husband, Fahdi Matti, an Iraqi translator, and their life-threatening quest to be together – A Foreign Affair and Voicing the Eagle. Until I took on those two manuscripts, I did not know what translators went through nor the fear their families endure from the moment they agree to work for the US Military. God bless them all and those with No One Left Behind. |
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Combat Interpreters Need Your Help
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Help us save the heroic combat interpreters who risked their lives to help our U.S. troops on the battlefields of Iraq and Afghanistan
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No One Left Behind is a nonprofit organization that assists combat interpreters who have worked with our U.S. military, government agencies or contractors in Iraq and Afghanistan for at least one year resettle safely in the U.S. The risks and sacrifices these heroic translators have made for our country are truly inspirational. They fought and led on the battlefield alongside our soldiers and Marines, and many are directly responsible for saving the lives of U.S. troops.
As a result of their service to us, thousands of interpreters across Iraq and Afghanistan were branded as traitors and placed on insurgency group “hit lists.” The were systematically targeted, hunted and murdered by Al Qaeda, the Taliban and other terrorist groups in the Middle East. These translators had no option but to do their best to hide and evade capture while hoping and praying the insurgents would eventually “forget” about them.
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Fortunately, in 2008, Congress approved the Special Immigrant Visa program which offers Iraqi and Afghan nationals who worked for U.S. forces or entities for a minimum of one year the opportunity to apply for a Visa to immigrate to the U.S. Unfortunately, once these veterans arrived in the U.S. many of them often ended up living on the streets – unable to find jobs and struggling to adjust to their new country.
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The Afghan interpreter who served as Secretary of Defense Robert Gates’ personal translator during one of his visits to Kabul was, thankfully, awarded a Visa to come to the U.S., but three months after his arrival, unable to find work, he was evicted from his apartment and spent several weeks living on the streets of San Francisco with his wife, 4-yr-old son and 2-yr-old daughter until volunteers from No One Left Behind learned of his situation and were able to find him and his family to pick them up.
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Our combat interpreters deserve better than this. We as a nation MUST do better than this to support our allies.
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No One Left Behind was founded in 2013 by a former U.S. Army Captain whose Afghan translator saved his life during a firefight with the Taliban. No One Left Behind helps interpreters and their families navigate the process of applying for their Special Immigrant Visas and then, once they arrive in the U.S., we assist them in settling into their new lives here in America. These families arrive with little more than a suitcase and a dream.
Typically, a refugee resettlement agency provides enough to cover the first couple of months rent and the translators also get food stamps, Medicaid and around $850 a month in assistance. But rent for a 1-bedroom apartment in the San Diego area is well over $1,000 a month, so unless organizations like No One Left Behind step in and help subsidize their rent and find them gainful employment, they often face eviction within 90 days of their arrival.
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Once we have met their basic needs and ensured they are able to keep a roof over their heads, No One Left Behind immediately gets to work helping these individuals find employment so they can become self-sufficient members of our communities. Our volunteers help them develop resumes, our organization hosts Job Skills Workshops and, because they have no means of transportation, we drive them to interviews or teach them how to use public transit and Uber. These translators want to work and they want to provide for their families on their own. But they have a tough uphill battle from the moment they set foot in this country.
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“We owe it to these interpreters to help them and their families adjust to their new homes, integrate into our societies and give them a helping hand until they can stand on their own two feet. They deserve at least this much for the sacrifices they made on the battlefield in service to our country and military missions in Iraq and Afghanistan.”
~ General David Petraeus
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Right now, our organization is critically low on available funds and resources to help these veterans, and we have hundreds of families slated to arrive over the next few months.
We are also always thankful for gift cards to stores such as Target or Walmart to purchase basic hygiene items and household goods like towels and sheets, or you are welcome to purchase these items and have them shipped to us. You can even buy Walmart gift cards online and have them shipped to our organization for free. To learn more about this option please visit: http://bit.ly/2sZQeEoWe also accept gently used items that are in very good to excellent condition. To arrange drop offs or shipments of donations please email [email protected].
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