Will you support immigrants this holiday season?

Immigrants experience many of the same challenges others do, including economic instability, lack of educational opportunities, housing, and food insecurity, and increasing health disparities. However, a lack of immigration status creates a large barrier to overcoming these challenges. 

 

Often Immigrant Legal Center and Refugee Empowerment Center clients need a little extra support than what our programs are designed to provide. While many of our clients qualify for fee waivers and other financial assistance programs, their lack of immigration status can make it difficult to afford required medical exams, transportation to appointments or work, and sign their kids up for activities at school.

 

 

This holiday season, we are launching our new Client Support Fund–and we need your help!

 

 

Our goal is to raise $50,000 by December 31, 2022 to create a fund that our attorneys, legal team, social workers, and resettlement case managers can access to cover unexpected expenses for clients needing a little extra help as they navigate our complicated and lengthy immigration system. 

 

 

Your donation today will go directly to support our newest neighbors when they need their community most. 

How the Client Support Fund helps our Community

The average person can’t afford a $400 emergency expense. Immigrants are even more vulnerable because they lack the immigration status required to access certain financial assistance programs and often don’t have savings as a result of their immigration journey. Here are just a few ways the Client Support Fund will help immigrants in our community: 

Lidia's Story

Marcos and his wife Lidia had to flee their home country with their disabled daughter because their lives were in danger.

Marcos wanted to protect his wife and daughter from the threats he was receiving from gang members.  The family owned a restaurant and gang members were extorting Marcos for protection.  Marcos was unable to keep up with payments they required and pay for his daughter’s medical care, and his wife’s medicine.  Lidia is a cancer survivor, and she focused on her health and her daughters, so Marcos tried his best to hide what had been happening.  One day Marcos told his family they had to leave and they left with nothing to the border.  On their way there Marcos passed away,  Lidia was alone with her daughter,  before his passing Marcos told her she could not go back home because they would be killed.  Lidia has now been in the country for about 3years without any familial support.  She and her daughter have relied on church members, and community members for housing, and necessary items for her and her daughter.  While living with others Lidia was a victim of sexual assault and her daughter has been ridiculed for her disability.  This broke Lidia’s heart because they needed a place to stay and had no other way out.  Lidia had to take care of her daughter because of her disability, nobody else was willing to help her.  

Due to her daughter’s medical condition, she was also in and out of the hospital on multiple occasions.  At times she didn’t have money for prescriptions.  Since they did not have status, they did not qualify for any state benefits.  With the help of ILC they have applied for asylum and Lidia is waiting for her work permit.  Social workers were able to find resources for their necessities and they are in a better place than before.  Once Lidia gets her work permit this will change their lives, Lidia would love to have a place of her own where she and her daughter feel safe. 

Your donation today will go directly to support our newest neighbors when they need their community most.

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