The upcoming Independence Day holiday makes me wonder what our freedom means to different people in our community. For someone whose family has lived in America for several generations, freedom might be taken for granted. But here's someone who probably isn't taking it for granted: past Foundation beneficiary Luis, who at sixteen has seen his share of life-changing events. He and his family moved here from Mexico when he was very little. After moving here, they discovered that he needed a kidney transplant and faced homelessness while they waited for details of his surgery to come together. Today, they own a home and live well on their own.

Here's another group of young people who are not taking freedom for granted this holiday: the children who make up the 'Fugees Family' in Georgia. Have you heard about this group? They've been on the Today Show and in Sports Illustrated, but it's not because of their athletic prowess. It's made entirely of children seeking refuge here in the U.S. from their own war-torn countries. They started out playing soccer together, but now they also work together to build a life here with educational progress, sustainable and affordable housing and health programming. These are children who have seen brothers and fathers and mothers shot right in front of their eyes, who believe that when an adult leaves, they're not coming back and who left everything behind to start again. Here's their story from the Today Show: