Standing with our Immigrant Neighbors

Volunteer your time, hands, heart and experience

There are many ways that you can volunteer. Much of the volunteering is in person but some can be done by ZOOM.

Help sort and distribute food in solidarity with Chelsea immigrants

La Colaborativa in Chelsea has a wonderful food pantry program which includes food distribution, a mercado for clients to visit and obtain food, a healthy cooking program, medical check ins and more. We have been told that it is very valuable to have non-Latino volunteers – it shows their immigrant clients that they are supported by non-Latinos and if ICE shows up (which it has in the past several months) it is useful to have non-Latinos present.

Philip Warren White, Director of Impact for La Colaborativa, joined us virtually at our October 8th Indivisible Hingham Hull meeting to give us an overview of opportunities to volunteer with his organization. Here is a copy of his presentation. We are putting together a group to volunteer with food distribution, possibly regularly, but at least once. Please email us if interested: info@indivisiblehinghamhull.org.

Help immigrants learn and practice English

Help with resume writing, interview practice and/or job searching

La Colaborativa in Chelsea. They do 100-200 practice interviews a month and help with up to a 1000 resumes a month. Contact Philip Warren White, Director of Impact, at La Colaborativa at philipw@la-colaborativa.org

Provide legal assistance

De Novo and Pathway for Immigrant Workers both need volunteer attorneys. Training will be provided for the immigration work needed. Contacts: Pathway for Immigrant Workers: Leslie Ditrani at Leslie@myimmigrantpathway.org De Novo: Briana Ong at bong@denovo.org

De Novo also needs counseling and administrative volunteers – more info here.

Advocate for Our Immigrant Neighbors with MA legislators and administrators

  • MIRA, Massachusetts Immigrant & Refugee Advocacy Coalition requests that we ask our state legislators to co-sponsor the Immigrant Legal Defense Act, and the Safe Communities Act. These proposed laws have won the support of many legislators, but they need many more to get these bills passed into law this session! More info here. Hingham/Cohasset/Hull residents, Rep. Meschino is already a co-sponsor of the Safe Communities Act – please tell her "Thank you!" (It's important to let legislators know when they are doing something right!)

Protect immigrant-origin students in their schools

Report ICE activity in your community to LUCE Immigrant Justice Network of MA or become a trained responder.

  • LUCE Hotline – 617-370-5023 (put this contact in your cellphone right now!)
  • Sign up for a LUCE training to become an Ice Watcher or Hotline Operator here.

Patronize immigrant-owned restaurants

See CambridgeDay article about impact of the administration's anti-immigrant policies on local restaurants

Make Financial Donations

These organizations are currently raising funds for particular emergency needs:

  • La Colaborativa in Chelsea is raising funds to help support families of people who have been taken by ICE. Often the person taken was the breadwinner in the family. The funds raised will help pay utilities, rent and other necessities (La Colaborativa is supporting the families with food).
  • DeNovo – DeNovo is raising funds to help their clients cover new and increased fees imposed by the Trump Administration this summer. The Trump Administration significantly increased immigration fees in July and August – fees to renew a work permit, to apply for a green card, to apply for asylum, to apply to become a citizen, fees to extend Temporary Protected Status and more.
  • Pathway for Immigrant Workers is raising funds to help the habeas corpus representation they are doing – emergency petitions to the federal courts to prevent an immigrant from being immediately deported or sent far from Massachusetts. They also need funds to support their work helping immigrant workers apply for legal work authorization.

These other organizations need and appreciate donations to enable their work supporting immigrants in our community through advocacy and action:

Volunteer with Boston Immigration Justice Accompaniment Network (BIJAN)

BIJAN is a grassroots network of individuals, faith communities, and other activist groups working to reduce the escalating violence of our immigration system in the current political context. Their volunteers are mostly allies and they are working closely with immigrant communities and immigrant-led organizations. Their work is directly shaped by the voices and experiences of individuals detained by ICE who reach out to invite accompaniment and who offer powerful advocacy and solidarity to one another. You must attend a training to volunteer with BIJAN. The next training is Sunday, November 23 from 4-5:30pm via Zoom. Register here.

Protest

On Wednesdays from 11am to 1pm you can join others for peaceful standouts against the actions of ICE under the Trump Administration. There have been weekly standouts for the past 20 weeks.

Bearing Witness@ICE – ICE Facility at 1000 District Ave., Burlington, MA. You can park in the Burlington Mall parking lot near Macy's close to the ICE offices.

More info at Bearing Witness@ICE