Champions of Change Blog

A Nation of Immigrants

Matthew Soerens is being honored as a Champion of Change for his efforts as an Immigration Reformer.

Like many other Americans, most of what I thought about issues of immigration throughout most of my life was based on what I saw on television, heard on the radio, or read in the newspaper. Some was positive, much was negative, and none of it seemed to affect me directly, particularly where I grew up, in the mostly ethnically homogenous part of Northeastern Wisconsin. Over the past several years, though, I’ve been challenged to see the various ways that my own values – those of our country, of my faith, and of my family – compel me to see immigration in a different light. Through my work at World Relief, where our mission is to empower local churches to serve the most vulnerable, including refugees, victims of human trafficking, and undocumented immigrants, I now have the privilege of encouraging others within my faith community to rediscover their values and to apply them to the complex and sometimes controversial topic of immigration.

The United States of America is, as John F. Kennedy called it, “a nation of immigrants.”  Except for those of Native American ancestry, we all can trace our heritage back to somewhere else, whether our ancestors came on the Mayflower or a slave ship, into Ellis Island or Angel Island, into JFK Airport or across the Rio Grande.  At its founding, America was, as our first president said, “open to receive not only the opulent and respectable stranger, but the oppressed and persecuted of all nations and religions.”  Though at various moments in our history we have not fully lived up to that standard, it remains core to our national identity.  I’m inspired by my Dutch immigrant ancestors, and I see reflections of their courage in the immigrants arriving today.

My faith teaches me that I must remember not only my immigrant ancestors’ valor and ingenuity, but also God’s grace in bringing them from the desperation they left behind, through immense struggles upon arrival in a new country where they were not always welcomed, to rebuilding a new life in the United States.  In the Hebrew Scriptures, God commands his people to remember their own history as foreigners in the land of Egypt and to allow their own experience to inform the way that they would treat those who migrated to their land later: “Don’t oppress an immigrant,” God says very clearly. “You know what it’s like to be an immigrant, because you were immigrants…” (Exodus 23:9, Common English Bible).  God repeatedly commands his people, as individuals and as a society, to care for those who are most vulnerable, specifically mentioning the immigrant, the orphan, and the widow on multiple occasions.  The Bible is replete with commands to hospitality – literally, the love of strangers – with the suggestion that by welcoming strangers, we might just be welcoming an angel without realizing it (Hebrews 13:2).

That reality – that immigrants, rather than people to be feared, may actually be a blessing – has been the experience of my own family.  When I was just a small child, my mother met a young woman who had recently arrived from Mexico in the nursing mothers’ room of our church.  Putting the values of her own faith into action, my mother befriended the young woman and invited her over for lunch.  When she learned that the young immigrant and her baby were living in a dangerous situation of domestic violence, my mother invited them into our home, where they lived in our basement for several months while getting back onto their feet.  In the process, they became a part of our family, enriching our lives in countless ways.

When we apply our values – American values, values of our faith traditions, family values – to the realities of immigration to the United States, our national dialogue transforms from a fixation on an imagined threat to the recognition of a tremendous opportunity.  We can then work together across partisan, religious, geographic, and ethnic divides to establish laws that reflect our shared values and to build a society that welcomes those who arrive as strangers into our communities.  As we do so, our country, our faith communities, and our families are strengthened in the process.

Matthew Soerens is the U.S. Church Training Specialist at World Relief and the co-author of Welcoming the Stranger: Justice, Compassion & Truth in the Immigration Debate.

Champions of Change: Women Veterans

It is our honor to celebrate the many accomplishments of our women veterans as our Champions of Change. At this time in our Nation's history there are more women serving in our Armed Forces than ever before. Since the creation of the Army Nurse Corps in 1901 women have been faithfully serving in our Armed Forces as nurses, mechanics, pilots, ship captains, unit commanders and more.  In these jobs women have found themselves on the front-lines, but by the Administration's decision to lift the ban on combat positions to women gives them a chance to serve in all military roles. The opportunities in and out of military service continue to expand for women. For many of them their selfless service does not end when they take off the uniform for the last time, instead they continue to serve not only their communities, but also the very people they stood side-by-side with.

Marsha Four is a shining example one of these women. She served in the Army as a nurse during the Vietnam War. After leaving the service she was determined to help her fellow veterans and founded a 95-bed transitional home for homeless veterans. She also founded  Mary E. Walker House, transitional residence program for homeless women veterans.

Marsha's story is just one of the many you will get to hear today from women who have dedicated their lives to the service of others. We are thrilled to be able to honor 14 incredible women in our Champions of Change event. Following their military service, these women have integrated back into the communities and become leaders in their schools, business, and local governments.

We couldn't possibly capture all the amazing contributions our women veterans are making across the nation. But we remain dedicated to the commitment we have made to all veterans. The Administration continues to demonstrate this promise by signing the Veteran Skills to Jobs Act, VOW to Hire Heroes Act, and an Executive Order to strengthen suicide prevention and veteran mental health care services. Joining Forces, led by First Lady Michelle Obama and Dr. Jill Biden, continue to enlist community and local support by securing veteran hiring commitments from corporations around the country, establishing educational commitments from state and national nursing organizations and nursing schools, and campaigning for state credentialing and licensing legislation to assist veterans in translating their hard earned skill sets to the civilian sector.

It is the combined dedication of the women we honor as Champions of Change, our local communities, corporations nationwide, the Administration, and many more that secure our Nation's commitment to those who serve. We were excited about the day's events, and excited to meet some of these amazing women.

Champions for Change: Women Veterans

• Sharie Derrickson, Nashville TN. A Navy veteran and Vice President of New Wind, LLC  who sought out energy start-up companies to join.
• Priscilla Mondt, Fayetteville AR. An Army & Desert Storm veteran with Bronze Star, as a VA Chaplain she runs a scholarship program for other chaplains.
• Glenna Tinney, Arlington VA. A retired Navy Captain who has managed military domestic violence and sexual assault programs as a former Dep. Director of the Defense Task Force on Domestic Violence and current Program Coordinator for the Battered Women’s Justice Project.
• Stacy Pearsall, Charleston SC. An Army veteran with three tours in Iraq which led to Bronze Star two time winner of NPPA Military Photographer of the Year. She owns Charleston Center for Photography and donates art to the Charleston VAMC.
• Ginger Miller, Accokeek MD. A Coast Guard veteran and founder of Women Veterans Interactive (formerly John 14:2), which has a Guidstar.org seal of approval. She is formerly homeless and started these organizations to assist other women veterans with their point of need.
• Natasha Young, Boston MA. A Marine veteran, Gunny Sgt, who deployed to Iraq twice and lost 6 marines during her deployments. She was selected as a Mission Continues fellow and was then hired as an Outreach Coordinator.
• Wilma Vaught, Arlington VA. Founder of Women In Military Service For America Memorial Foundation (WIMSA). Brigadier General Wilma L. Vaught, USAF, Retired, is President of the Board of Directors of the Women In Military Service For America Memorial Foundation, Inc. Her last military assignment was as Commander of the US Military Entrance Processing Command, North Chicago, IL, where she served from June 1982, until her retirement in August 1985. She is a member of the Board of Directors of the National Women’s History Museum and serves on the Virginia War Memorial Foundation Board of Trustees. Following retirement, she worked as a consultant with the Strategic Defense Initiative Organization as well as with industry. She speaks around the US on leadership and management and is a frequent guest on radio and television programs.
• Marsha Four, Springfield PA. An Army veteran, Vietnam nurse and founder of a 95-bed transitional housing  residence (LZ II) for homeless Veterans recovering from substance abuse. She is also the founder of the Mary E. Walker House, transitional residence program for homeless women Veterans located on the grounds of Coatesville VA Medical Center.
• Marylyn Harris, Houston TX. An Army veteran and nurse who created Women Veterans Business Center to educate and empower women Veterans and military families to start and grow their own businesses.
• Becky Kanis, Los Angeles CA. An Army veteran and director of the 100,000 Homes Campaign, a national movement of over 185 communities working to find permanent homes for chronic and medically vulnerable homeless Americas.
• Kayla Williams, Ashburn VA. An Army & Operation Iraqi Freedom Veteran who advocates on Veterans policy issues, especially those that promote gender equality in the military and equal access to benefits and services for women Veterans. Served on the Advisory Committee on Women Veterans. Actively participates on panel, radio, and television discussion on women’s combat experiences, to help stakeholders, policy makers, and the public gain an understanding of how combat can impact the lives of the women who experience it.  
• Michelle Racicot, Albuquerque NM. An Army Operation Enduring Freedom & Operation Iraqi Freedom veteran, nurse practitioner. She is on the advisory board of American Women Veterans, and a community advocate (fundraiser/educator/volunteer) on homelessness.
• Dawn Halfaker, Arlington VA. An Army Operation Enduring Freedom & Operation Iraqi Freedom veteran and founder and CEO of Halfaker and Associates. President of the Board of Directors for Wounded Warrior Project.
• Tia Christopher, Davis CA. A Navy Veteran who currently works for the Farmer-Veteran Coalition as the Director of FVC’s Fellowship Fund. Ms. Christopher speaks nationally on issues facing women veterans, has testified before state and national legislature, and was a community instructor for the National Center for PTSD, Menlo Park. Christopher serves as an advisory board member for The Pathway Home: California Transition Center for Care of Combat Veterans.

Rosye Cloud is the Director of Policy for Veterans, Wounded Warriors, and Military Families.