by Gayle Nesom
Contact your state and federal elected officials and tell them to end the concentration camps:
House: https://www.house.gov/representatives Senate: https://www.house.gov/senators
Attend your local Lights for Liberty vigil on July 12, 2019, and spread the word about this worldwide event:
https://www.lightsforliberty.org/localevents List is updated daily.
Shelters, Sanctuaries, Advocacy, Supplies, and Donations Vet charities via Charity Navigatorhttps://www.charitynavigator and Charity Watchhttps://www.charitywatch.org/home. Legal volunteer opportunities are not included.
1. Angry Tias and Abuelas of Rio Grande Valley www.angrytiasandabuelas.comhttps://www.facebook.com/angrytiasandabuelas/ Provides emergency assistance—food, water, clothing, toiletries, logistical support, cash—to migrants released from ICE custody at bus depots and shelters in Brownsville and McAllen; informs asylum seekers of their rights as they wait to cross international bridges; gives financial support to refugee shelters. 22737 N. Oscar St. Harlingen, TX 78552 Donate: https://secure.actblue.com/donate/atargvVolunteer (Spanish a must):https://www.angrytiasandabuelas.com/contact
2. Annunciation House https://annunciationhouse.org/ Shelters and advocates for migrant and refugee families detained and separated by ICE on El Paso/Juarez border. Volunteer: https://annunciationhouse.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/CurrentVolunteerNeeds-18_MAR_2019.pdfDonate: https://annunciationhouse.org/financial-donations/
3. Border Angels https://www.borderangels.org/ Conducts guided trips to the desert to place water along migrant crossing routes. Volunteer: https://www.borderangels.org/volunteers/Donate: https://www.borderangels.org/paypal-donations/
4. Catholic Charities of Rio Grande Valley Humanitarian Respite Center 956-702-4088www.catholiccharitiesrgv.org/respitecenter/home.aspx Offers respite to migrant families in McAllen’s Sacred Heart Catholic Church; is building large, permanent shelter. Donate: https://www.catholiccharitiesrgv.org/respitecenter/home.aspx#donateformChecks: Catholic Charities of RGV 111 S. 15th St. McAllen, TX 78501
5. Community Justice Exchangehttps://www.communityjusticeexchange.org/national-bail-fund-network National Bail Fund Network funds bail bonds for detained immigrants. https://www.marketwatch.com/story/this-is-what-it-costs-to-free-one-immigrant-from-detention-2018-06-20Donate:https://donatenow.networkforgood.org/1442917
6. Fianza Fund www.fianzafund.org Community bond (fianza) fund based in El Paso and serving far west Texas and New Mexico. Posts bonds for undocumented immigrants held in detention (average legal minimum $1,500 to $6,500 and above); supports detained migrants through small deposits to commissary and telephone accounts and miscellaneous expenses on release. Donate:https://www.fianzafund.org/donate.htmlChecks: (mention Fianza) 225 E. 26th St., Suite 1 Tucson, AZ 85713
7. Immigrant Families Togetherhttps://immigrantfamiliestogether.com/ Focuses on rapid response unification of families separated by zero tolerance policy; bonds out asylum seekers and reunites them with their children; provides food and housing. Donate: https://immigrantfamiliestogether.com/donate-to-a-momhttps://www.gofundme.com/ybs825-general-fundhttps://immigrantfamiliestogether.com/how-you-can-help
8. Immigrant Justice Nowhttps://www.immigrantjusticenow.org/current-initiatives Helps immigrant families and children with legal fees, transportation, diapers and baby formula, clothing, prepaid cell phones. Donate: https://actionnetwork.org/fundraising/immigrantjusticenowAmazon wish list:https://www.amazon.com/registry/wishlist/17DKBBK3AVE67/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_ep_ws_NcKeCbZ3YNX83
9. International Rescue Committee https://www.rescue.org/ 855-973-7283 Supplies clean water, shelter, health care, education to asylum-seeking families and children. Donate. Employee match. Fundraise: https://www.crowdrise.com/donate/charity/internationalrescuecommittee/0Checks: P.O. Box 6068 Albert Lea, MN 56007-9847
10. La Posada Providencia https://cdpsisters.org/la-posada-providencia (San Benito) Shelters people in legal process of seeking asylum, residency, or other legal alternatives. Donate: Sisters of Divine Providence / Mission Advancement 9000 Babcock Blvd. Allison Park, PA 15101 Donation form:https://cdpsisters.org/system/files/attachments/donation_form_revised_7-17-15.pdf
11. No More Deaths/No Mas Muertes http://forms.nomoredeaths.org/en/ 520-333-5699 Ministry of Unitarian Universalist Church of Tucson. Maintains year-round humanitarian presence in deserts of sw Arizona. Volunteers hike trails and leave water, food, socks, blankets, and other supplies, and under medical team supervision, provide emergency first-aid treatment. Documents abuse, neglect, and mistreatment of detainees. One-month volunteer programs for trips into the desert. Volunteer:http://forms.nomoredeaths.org/volunteer/Donate: http://forms.nomoredeaths.org/donate-supplies-or-vehicles/Checks: UUCT/No More Deaths PO Box 40782 Tucson, AZ 85717
12. Project Lifeline https://projectlifeline.us/ Educational and grassroots advocacy dedicated to bringing visibility to detention, deprivation, and dehumanization of migrant children held in immigration detention and to Trump administration’s undermining of the 1997 Flores Settlement, which establishes standards of care for migrant children. Volunteer: https://projectlifeline.us/contact-us/Donate: https://projectlifeline.us/how-to-help/
13.RAICES https://www.raicestexas.org/ (Texas). Provides legal services to immigrant children, families and refugees. One couple created a fund-raising page on Facebook and raised more than $20.7 million after setting a goal to raise just $1,500. Volunteer: https://www.raicestexas.org/volunteer/Donate: https://www.raicestexas.org/donate/
14. San Diego Rapid Response http://www.rapidresponsesd.org/ 24-Hour Emergency Hotline: 619-536-0823 Maintains shelter and provides basic necessities, such as food, blankets and bedding, portable showers, baby/children needs, and toiletries. Helps provide free legal representation for these families; funds bond fees. Donate: https://www.gofundme.com/migrantreliefsdAmazon wish list: https://www.amazon.com/gp/registry/wishlist/378R4D1GVELQF?ref_=cm_sw_em_r_mt_mt__wl&fbclid=IwAR0uYZdZt0Ymosjn10QNMvSsPXX8rXSJJVinBiPMku7fT5oRV8d3oflZDs0&pldnSite=1
15. The Young Center for Immigrant Children’s Rightshttps://www.theyoungcenter.org/https://www.theyoungcenter.org/stories/2019/6/21/how-to-protect-yourself-and-others-during-ice-raids Provides child advocates for immigrant children inside the detention centers and accompanies them to immigration proceedings. Donate: https://www.theyoungcenter.org/donate-to-the-young-center
16. Together Risinghttps://togetherrising.org/contact@togetherrising.org Raises money for defenders, prosecutors, and advocates working to reunify immigrant children with their families. Uses “Love Flash Mob” fundraisers to meet a particular need in hours. In May 2018, TR raised $4.2 million ($1 million in the first 9 hours) to provide advocates and legal representation for children separated from their families at the border. Donate: https://togetherrising.org/give/Checks: 800 West Broad Street #6409Falls Church, VA 22040