Artwork stating 'Education Destroys Barriers', 'We Demand Treatment', and 'I Need A Chance'

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  • This Denver Group is Keeping Immigrants' Restaurant Dreams Alive

    Comal Heritage Food Incubator trains immigrant and refugee women to start their own businesses in the food industry. Comal offers coaching, financial support, and connections to social services. It also pays trainees, which has been vital to endure the food industry shutdowns during the Covid-19 pandemic. The group also ensures members have food, rent assistance, school supplies, or diapers for their children. They partner with the Denver Metro Emergency Food Network, delivering about 290,000 meals since the pandemic began. The model is working in other cities, including Seattle and San Francisco.

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  • How Immokalee-based Mision Peniel has had to adapt amid COVID-19 regulations

    When the coronavirus threatened the economic well-being and health of the immigrant farmworkers in Florida's agricultural hub in Collier County, faith-based organizations that could no longer serve free hot meals pivoted to a weekly distribution of donated food and homemade masks. Immokalee's Mision Peniel and area churches served an average of 400 people per week since the early days of the outbreak, focusing on financially struggling families, with bags of vegetables, meat, and other staples.

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  • Minnesota offers 'no-barriers' COVID-19 testing across state for immigrants

    The Minnesota Department of Health is working with local advocacy groups to provide free Covid-19 testing at pop-up testing sites in communities where immigrants or undocumented residents live. The state-sponsored testing sites do not ask patients for any information regarding their citizen status and also do not require insurance to access the test.

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  • When working for justice, the promotora model builds power in communities even during a pandemic

    The New Sanctuary Movement of Philadelphia (NSM) adjusted its promotora model of organizing, which relies on neighbor-to-neighbor interaction to assess community needs, due to Covid-19. The immigrant justice nonprofit now runs zoom meetings and phone banks to talk with hard hit immigrant communities. NSM, fundraising with a coalition of 40 other groups, also provides financial support to immigrant families who cannot access federal aid. They gave money to 150 families, with 100 more on the waitlist. They hired a few laid off community members and try to give promotores some money, but funding is limited.

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  • What We Can Learn from Costa Rica's Embrace of Migrants

    Despite its own troubled economy, Costa Rica has embraced a large influx of Nicaraguan refugees out of a recognition that immigration is an economic boon. The absorption of more than 28,000 migrants in one year, in a country of only 5 million people, has been aided by Costa Rica's existing population of Nicaraguans who fled earlier rounds of political and economic upheaval in their country. Those earlier migrants formed a network of aid organizations providing new arrivals with basic necessities, educational opportunity, connection to social services, and mental health support groups.

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  • Kindred care: Congolese refugee community takes care of its own, and others, during COVID-19

    Congolese refugees in Cleveland, Ohio have created a security net for the most vulnerable amongst them with the formation of Congolese Community of Greater Cleveland. Prior to the pandemic, CCGC helped Congolese refugees form a general sense of community but now it provides vital translation services for health updates and helps navigate the unemployment application process in addition to cash assistance. Current government initiatives are often inaccessible for those who don't have internet access, lack computer literacy, or don't have a car to access drive-through food banks. CCGC members step in to help.

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  • Sewing circle: How Women of the Global South helps refugees stitch together new lives in Brazil

    Refugee women arriving in Brazil have been able to achieve financial independence through the work of an organization called Women of the Global South, an organization that provides women with the tools and skills to sell textiles. In addition to providing entrepreneurial skills, it also helps refugee women with transportation, classes, sewing machines and even provides cash for emergencies and help getting in touch with family members they have been separated from.

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  • ‘I just need a connection': the refugees teaching languages across borders

    NaTakallam offers classes in Arabic, Spanish, Persian and French that are taught by refugees. The 64 teachers conduct classes with 770 students entirely online, allowing people from all over the world to learn from native speakers. It also circumvents work restrictions for refugees in their new homes, which means they can earn money. The group’s teachers also speak in university classes, offer translation services, and some now work on New York University’s Arabic-language program. Deep friendships that help combat the isolation experienced by many refugees have also emerged from the online classes.

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  • Promotoras: A community model with heart — and teeth

    Promotoras is a model used in Latin America since the 1950s, where respected community members perform health outreach and host events to answer questions about healthcare access and treatments. The program seeks to ensure that Latinx communities are not prevented from receiving quality healthcare because of traditional obstacles such as distrust, lack of transportation, lack of insurance, or language barriers. Research and surveys consistently show that this model achieves success by improving access to health services for the majority of people they interact with.

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  • Community groups step in to provide immigrants COVID testing, relief

    To meet the financial needs of undocumented immigrants caught in the gap left by the federal CARES Act pandemic relief program, the advocacy group Aliento has distributed financial aid, educated workers about unemployment benefits, and conducted outreach to young people and families. Aid checks of $500 are aimed at helping cover rent, utilities, and health care costs for families in which layoffs, particularly in the construction and hospitality industries, have caused hardships.

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