There are hundreds of refugee children stranded in NYC right now.
photo credit: @MarkLevineNYC on Twitter
Ever since the news of immigrant families being separated at the borders - children taken from their parents and parents from their children - has permeated the headlines, we have been consumed with these stories.
As owners of a business that serves families, but more importantly, as parents, we have tried to understand, if possible, on even the smallest level, what these refugee families seeking asylum must be going through. We have tried to visualize our own families at a border crossing being torn from each other and our reactions to that sudden and brutal separation. But this exercise only lasts 10 - 15 seconds because it is unimaginable for a sustained length of time. If the mere thought of having our children taken from us (and them being further separated from each other) with no way to be in touch and no information of where they are or how they are doing is too much to tolerate - what can the reality possibly be like?
A friend forwarded us a newsletter from New York City Council Member, Mark Levine. His office was collecting donations (clothes, diapers, toys) for the children stranded in NYC – many of them completely alone and thousands of miles away from their parents or from anyone they know. We started looking to his office for updates. The response to their original call for material donations was incredible. They are now in the next stage of assistance. We are passing on this information for those who are also looking for a way to support the children.
Needed most now -- financial donations for the non-profits that are currently caring for the children.
Contributions to one of the organizations providing legal and social service support to these children…
The Northern Manhattan Coalition for Immigrant Rights: offering legal defense for families seeking asylum or facing deportation
The Legal Aid Society: providing deportation defense and other immigration legal services to unaccompanied minors, adults with children, and other vulnerable individuals
The Safe Passage Project: an immigrant legal services program for unaccompanied minors and refugee children separated from their parents.
The Door: providing unaccompanied adolescent migrants in NYC with housing and other social services
Kids in Need of Defense: works to ensure no child appears in immigration court without an attorney.
The New York Immigration Coalition: advocating for immigrant rights in NYC and nationally.
Make the Road New York: a grassroots immigrant advocacy organization that’s been deeply engaged in fighting against the family separation policy.
Volunteer opportunities
There are volunteer opportunities to help sort the original call for donations.
You can sign up for a volunteer shift here.
The foster agencies are all in need of financial contributions, Spanish-speaking foster parents, and a limited number of general volunteers (for security reasons and to protect the safety of the children, the organizations need time to vet foster parents and volunteers, as such, responses may take some time). For information on how you can help each individual organization see:
Cayuga Centers -- http://cayugacenters.org/programs/immigrant-foster-care/
Rising Ground -- https://www.risingground.org/be-mentor/
Abbott House -- http://www.abbotthouse.net/how-you-help/volunteer.html
Children’s Village -- https://childrensvillage.org/how-you-can-help-cv/
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