It is common now for Ali when he is traveling in what we call the Big Red Liberation van for people to come up to him and thank him for the work he is doing. Restaurant owners recognize him and refuse to let him pay for the soccer team’s meals.

He has been interviewed by local newspapers and videographers and a number of women have called or messaged him. It seems a lot of people read the blog.

Ali is slightly embarrassed by all of the attention, but he is getting over it.

He and I did some first-class wheeling and dealing to get a smaller van two months ago for very little money, then trade it even for this larger van which needed about $800 in repairs (he has a friend who is a mechanic who gave us a terrific discount).

We call it the Liberation Van because we didn’t  have our own van and were having to fight longer and harder to get to use the ones that were once available. Now, Ali can take the soccer team wherever and whenever he and their families want them to go, including their games, outings, lessons, celebrations.

We see it as a celebration of freedom and the hard and good work these children are doing to get their lives together in America.

The van is old – it has about 200,000 miles on it, but it has tinted windows that keep the kids cool and a screen that flops down to show soccer lessons or movies. He loves it, it is a beast on gas, but works beautifully otherwise.

And he loves the freedom. It is a joy to think of the team cruising around in the Liberation Van. This week, it’s even getting an Army Of Good Bumper Sticker (available for  $10 by sending cash or a check to me at P.O. Box 205, Cambridge, N.Y., 12816). Thanks for your support.