A family in Boise, Idaho, embraces newcomers from Nairobi and become fast friends. They were connected through an International Rescue Committee program that matches resettled refugees with their new neighbors to help them acclimate to life in America.

A Yazidi family from Iraq, one of the many ethnic minorities persecuted by ISIS, was preparing for a joyful reunion in the land of the free when things changed. Here is their story.

It’s up to all of us to ensure the United States never again turns its back on the world’s most vulnerable people.