October 23, 2026 - 9:00 pm

In 2022, a speaker at my church explained that ordinary Americans could help Ukrainians fleeing the war with Russia. The response was so great that we formed three sponsorship teams of 10 to 20 people each.

My team sponsored two mothers, each with two children. One family lived in my home, and our local schools immediately welcomed the kids. Today, both families live independently and are contributing members of our local community.

We could have just donated money. But private sponsorship enabled commitment, ownership, teamwork and civic pride. Four years later, we’re still showing up. I became a Citizen Guide with Welcome.US, helping a woman from Mexico prepare for her citizenship interview. Next month, our team will help both Ukrainian mothers and all four children apply to renew their parole status (U4), which will expire April 10.

Similar stories exist throughout the United States. Today, the U.S.…