Mendon resident Ellen Smith was recently named to head the Rochester Chapter of No One Left Behind, a 501(c)(3) that helps to resettle Afghan and Iraqi interpreters and support personnel who worked for the U.S. military. Ellen served in this volunteer position for the last 2 years. To date, she, and a cadre of volunteers, have assisted in resettling 27 families and 82 individuals.
Her mission started with helping former U.S. Army Captain Michael Chappell resettling his two interpreters in the Syracuse area, by collecting furniture and reaching out to friends for dishes and cookware and toys for the children.
“From that point, I learned of more Afghan and Iraqi interpreters in the Rochester area who really needed help, and were falling through the cracks. They arrive with one suitcase that can’t weigh more than 50 pounds. Our goal is to meet them at the airport and surround them with a support system. We have them stay at my farm in Mendon, or with other host families until they have safe and affordable housing in the city on a busline. Then we help them find careers.”
No One Left Behind bridges the gap that exists with current refugee relief programs, that struggle with an ever-increasing refugee population.
“We assure that these interpreters and support personnel are treated as the heros and veterans that they are. They have saved the lives of soldiers, and they have been on the front lines on the war on terror, serving to shoulder-to-shoulder with our military,” Smith explains. “We help the men and their families who are targeted by the Taliban and ISIL for their service, and make sure that they have an easier transition into American society.”
NOLB goes beyond what can be offered by the refugee resettlement programs. They help pay the first months rent and security, and give small car grants, and accept vehicle donations on behalf of the families so the fathers can get to jobs, and reach out to businesses to find meaningful, long-term employment.
“Many of our interpreters are typically educated, and speak several languages. We’ve had men with masters’ degrees in business and accounting, those who are bookkeepers, civil engineers, many worked in logistics, and even a doctor. They are hard-working dedicated individuals who all supported the U.S. in their respective countries. But they need help here. They need support and friendship, and to know they are not alone. They have all been threatened, some wounded, and all have had family members or friends killed. It is an honor to help them,” Smith said.
Over the last two years, Smith and her cadre of volunteers have raised money for :
• Twelve car grants at a cost of $29,800.
• $22,500 in rental assistance for 15 families.
Smith is also known for her specialized reporting service for the mining industry, and in 2015 won the Edward R. Murrow Award for a joint reporting venture with National Public Radio — her 37th journalism award in her reporting career.
No One Left Behind’s webpage is: http://www.NoOneLeft.org. The local Rochester chapter’s facebook page is: https://www.facebook.com/nooneleftbehindrochester/
She can be reached via email at: Ellen@NoOneLeft.org
