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Dear John,
Yalda marks the winter solstice—the longest and darkest night of the year. For generations, our community has met this night by gathering with loved ones, sharing warmth and stories, and staying close to one another until morning comes.
This year, the night feels especially long.
Across our community, families are living with fear and uncertainty—families caught in war, parents and children separated by detention and deportation, futures disrupted by borders, bans, and silence imposed on those who speak out against violence. These realities shape daily life in quiet but devastating ways, leaving many to feel isolated at a moment when connection matters most.
Yalda reminds us why we do not face the darkness alone.
On this solstice, we share the words of Saadi Shirazi, because they remind us that none of us stands apart from the fate of others, and that responsibility to one another is what binds a community together:
Human beings are members of a whole,
in creation of one essence and soul.
If one member is afflicted with pain,
other members uneasy will remain.
If you have no sympathy for human pain,
the name of human you cannot retain.
The spirit of Yalda is not only remembrance—it is endurance. It is the choice to sit together through the longest night, so that when the light returns, we step into it as a community.
That is what NIAC works to make possible: standing with families under threat, pushing back against forces that divide and isolate, and insisting—day after day—that our community deserves safety, dignity, and a future. This work is sustained by people who believe that none of us should be left behind in the dark.
As we close out the year, we are asking for your support to continue this effort. We have raised $97,560 toward our $250,000 end-of-year goal [[link removed]] , and the remaining gap will shape how effectively we can respond in the months ahead.
If you are able, please consider making a donation [[link removed]] before the end of the year. Your support helps ensure that even in the longest night, we remain together—and move toward the light as one. DONATE TO SUPPORT THIS WORK [[link removed]] With gratitude, Isabella Javidan NIAC Communications Manager[[link removed]]unsubscribe: [link removed]