The Independence Fund recently announced the expansion of program eligibility to Afghan Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) individuals and their families. Serving catastrophically wounded, injured and ill Veterans and their families, The Independence Fund helps them regain their independence and assist in adapting to being home after war. 
The Independence Fund’s Operation RESILIENCY program
Since 2019, The Independence Fund’s Operation RESILIENCY program has encouraged unit reunions to include their interpreters living in the U.S. as valuable members of the formation. In addition to fostering Operation RESILIENCY participation, The Independence Fund opened eligibility to SIV families to include active case work, and financial grants specifically designated to food, housing, maintenance and travel related expenses.
The casework team is working with interpreters and families to provide wrap around support for the issues they are facing. Through continued work with established partners, The Independence Fund seeks to receive referrals for assistance with benefits navigation, housing, employment and legal issues. These partners include, but are not limited to No One Left Behind, Inc., the Interpreting Freedom Foundation, and the Special Operations Association of America.
Independence@Home
Through the Independence@Home program, The Independence Fund is assisting with critical financial needs. Initial immediate financial grants for eligible SIV families are available and designated specifically for food, housing, maintenance, and travel related expenses. The Independence Fund will continue to work with state and federal partners and agencies for expedited resettlement benefits and will provide direct support during the transition.
To apply for any of these programs, please visit https://independencefund.org/pages/apply-for-assistance.
After applying, a team member will be in contact with the individual to gather more information or notify them of their acceptance.
For casework and programs applications, a team member will be in contact with the individual within 48 hours.
The sharing of any non-VA information does not constitute an endorsement of products and services on part of VA.
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Does this program include all Veterans I.E. (The Vietnam War)?
Does this program include Vietnam Vets?
These people are NOT U.S. citizens nor U.S. veterans!! Our own military members should come first.
I concur or what about the US civilians who spent years over there…we got nothing I didn’t even get my tools back I left behind when ISIS invaded
Fool. I’d rather have an interpreter who saved our lives countless times so that we even could come home, families coming to gates after one is kidnapped or murdered…I’d choose my interpreter over most Americans every day and it’s piss poor reasoning like you’ve got to be ignorant enough to understand for a lot of us those guys are the only reason we made it back. They are EQUAL in the eyes of any of us who left the wire anywhere and needed the invaluable priceless help they gave. Sorry if this doesn’t compute. My interpreters make better Americans than most Americans as of late and it’s this failure to look at what these ppl did why y’all cry about a non issue.
These reunions are not just people, they’re our family.
They fought with saved and died died for us. They are veterans as far as we are concerned.
Far as the other guy, that could have been fixed pretty easy back then. Sucks you weren’t given proper guidance but it’s there.
Thomas, excellent points. When we leave interpreters or other important allies behind, we are jeopardizing US forces credibility and support in all future engagements.