"Last year, writers from the shows ‘Vida’ and ‘One Day at a Time’ partnered to create the virtual campaign #OneVidaAtaTimeChallenge. 99 TV writers rooms and media platforms participated and were able to raise thousands of dollars for RAICES, an organization providing legal services and aiding in the reunification of immigrant families. Well, a year has passed, and we’re very sad to say things have gotten worse. Currently, Immigrant detainees, including young children, are being deprived of the most basic human needs: Running water, clean clothes, adequate food, healthy sleep, and beds. Experts have called the conditions at these detention centers, where children are separated from their parents, "worse than jail" and compared them to "torture facilities.” These young ones are not allowed to receive hugs or any physical contact from caretakers — or even one another. Experts believe this has the potential to create severe trauma.
A hug can be healing. Every day people use hugs as a way to comfort, to encourage, to create warmth, and to connect. It is a universal way to communicate love.
Hence, the Hug Challenge.
We must come together again, but this time not only to raise funds (which we definitely need to do!), but to use our collective voice and remind the public that these detainees are human and they deserve to be treated with dignity. We hope you’ll participate in this #OneVidaAtaTimeHUGchallenge to benefit Immigrant Families Together. a volunteer-run organization that offers comprehensive support to detainees: Housing, clothing, and a path to find and reunite with their loved ones. Help us raise funds (donated directly to the organization) to reunite and care for these families as they wait for their court dates by participating in the #OneVidaAtaTimeHUGchallenge which we are launched Friday, August 30th."
HERE’S HOW:
1) DONATE directly to: https://bit.ly/2ZlEAjJ
(That is the Immigrant Families Together Gofundme Rapid Response page)
2) POST A PIC on social media of you hugging someone or of you being hugged. It can be a #throwback pic of yourself hugging someone as a kid, or of you right now, involved in a hug. (The image doesn’t even have to be of you, it could just symbolize an embrace.)
3) PASTE a caption including some of the following language or something in your own words that amplifies the message.
Humans need 4 hugs a day for survival. Kids detained at the border are not allowed to be held or hugged. Post a pic hugging your loved ones & donate to @ImmFamTogether at: https://bit.ly/2ZlEAjJ#OneVidaAtaTimeHUGchallenge #OneVidaataTime #ImmigrantFamiliesTogether #HugitOut
Currently, Immigrant detainees, including young children, are being deprived of the most basic human needs: Running water, clean clothes, adequate food, healthy sleep, and beds. Experts have called the conditions at these detention centers, where children are separated from their parents, "worse than jail" and compared them to "torture facilities.” These young ones are not allowed to receive hugs or any physical contact from caretakers — or even one another. This has the potential to create severe trauma. We all use hugs as a way to comfort, to encourage, to create warmth, and to heal.
Join the #OneVidaAtaTime HUG CHALLENGE to foster empathy and raise funds for @immfamtogether an organization which offers comprehensive support to asylum seekers once they are released: Housing, clothing, and a path to reunite with their loved ones.
IT’S EASY: Share a photo of you hugging someone. It could be your kid, your partner, your parent — And if you post a #throwback pic of you as a kid hugging someone, that’s even better! If possible, try to express what this hug means to you and how those currently suffering in detention are being denied a hug just like this one. Tag #OneVidaAtaTimeHugChallenge; DONATE directly to https://bit.ly/2ZlEAjJ ; CHALLENGE a friend to post and donate, and that’s it! Let's hug this out! #HugitOut
Currently, Immigrant detainees, including young children, are being deprived of the most basic human needs: Running water, clean clothes, adequate food, healthy sleep, and beds. Experts have called the conditions at these detention centers, where children are separated from their parents, "worse than jail" and compared them to "torture facilities.” These young ones are not allowed to receive hugs or any physical contact from caretakers — or even one another. This has the potential to create severe trauma. We all use hugs as a way to comfort, to encourage, to create warmth, and to heal.
Join the #OneVidaAtaTime HUG CHALLENGE to foster empathy and raise funds for @immigrantfamiliestogether an organization which offers comprehensive support to asylum seekers once they are released: Housing, clothing, and a path to reunite with their loved ones.
IT’S EASY: Share a photo of you hugging someone. It could be your kid, your partner, your parent — And if you post a #throwback pic of you as a kid hugging someone, that’s even better! If possible, try to express what this hug means to you and how those currently suffering in detention are being denied a hug just like this one. Tag #OneVidaAtaTimeHugChallenge; DONATE directly to https://bit.ly/2ZlEAjJ ; CHALLENGE a friend to post and donate, and that’s it! Let's hug this out! #HugitOut
Donations
Your donations are tax deductible when received by our fiscal sponsor GoFundMe.org
Your generous support helps us pay bonds and reunite families. Our full support model also provides a helping hand with legal, medical, housing, phones, transportation to appointments, clothing and food security on an as need basis. It also provides CRITICAL needs to our partners on the border.
81 Bonds Paid - Over $750,000
This is the beginning of our work
We also provide as needed to our families:
- Legal Counsel
- Medical
- Housing
- Food Security
- Transportation
- Clothing
- Assistance to partners on the border
2019 Woman of Distinction
Senate Deputy Leader Gianaris Announces Julie Schwietert Collazo As 2019 Woman Of Distinction Honoree
“Immigration policy is personal for so many of us in Queens who come from immigrant families. This federal government’s anti-immigrant agenda is un-American and shameful. Thankfully, good people like Julie are organizing and fighting back,”
said Senate Deputy Leader Michael Gianaris.
“I am honored to support her work with Immigrant Families Together and pleased to recognize her as a Woman of Distinction.”
The Senator cares about family reunification and supports immigration reform.
Sen. Gianaris awarded Immigrant Families Together a $20,000 grant on our first anniversary.
Al Senador le importa la reunificación familiar y apoya la reforma de inmigración.
Partners
gofundme.org
GoFundMe.org is proud to announce that it is now serving as Immigrant Families Together's fiscal sponsor for their online donations submitted to their Immigrant Families Together General Fund and offline donations as of 7/1/19. All donations may be eligible for tax-exemption, and GoFundMe.org will issue donation receipts quarterly.
Miles4Migrants
Miles4Migrants partners with us to provide transportation to reunite many of our new families upon release from detention.
LUMOS
Lumos, the foundation founded by J.K. Rowling partners with us to accomplish our shared mission of reuniting families and helping them to rebuild their lives and recover from the trauma they have endured.
Casper
Casper partners with us to provide beds to families.
Hello Bello
Hello Bello, Kristen Bell and Dax Shepard's premium eco friendly diaper company, partners with us to provide our families' diapers.
Seventh Generation
Seventh Generation partners with us to provide period care products to asylum-seeking refugees in need. Seventh Generation’s mission is to transform the world into a healthy, sustainable & equitable place for the next seven generations.
Sesame Street in Communities
Sesame Street in Communities partners with Immigrant Families Together to provide our partners on the border with materials for families to create safe spaces during these trauma filled times in their lives.
Good Home Co.
Good Home Co. stepped up to not only provide our NYC families with cleaning products but also sent out partners on the border a shipment of castille soap and bug repellent.
LUX in Partnership with The CityPak Project
LUX, a California Public Benefit Corporation, supporting humanitarian causes and keeping families together. in partnership with The CityPak Project provided 102 backpacks to our partners on the border.
How We are Helping
Immigrant Families Together is a network of Americans committed to rapid response unification of families separated by the 'zero tolerance' policy. We have mobilized to help parents currently detained through the following immediate actions:
- Raising of bond funds through coordinated crowdfunding and individual giving in order to post bond for parents separated from their children at the US/Mexico Border.
- Paying bonds and providing pro bono legal representation when possible to fulfill all legal responsibilities while awaiting trial so that they may be with their children.
- Arranging safe transportation from state of detention to the city where children are currently in foster care.
- When needed, finding longterm housing in the destination city while they await trial.
- Connecting parents in cities with resources in order to sustain them during the process of being unified with their children.
- Working with local organizations and government to expedite the process of achieving full custody of their children while they await trial.
- Providing food, housing and medical assistance when needed to our families.
Como Estamos Ayudando
El grupo de Familias Inmigrantes Unidas es un grupo de ciudadanos determinados a reunir en una manera rapida aquellas familias que fueron separadas por la politica de cero tolerancia. Nos hemos mobilizado para ayudar a los padres de las siguientes maneras:
- Reuniendo fondos con donaciones para pagar sus fianzas.
Pagar fianza, y proveer asesoría legal para cumplir con todos los requisitos legales necesarios mientras esperan ser reunidos con su hijos.
- Organizamos el transporte desde el centro de detención a el estado donde se encuentran sus hijos.
- Cuando necesario, buscamos alojamiento para los padres mientras esperan su juicio legal.
- Conectamos a los padres con recursos locales que puedan ayudarlos a sustentarlos mientras esperan el ser reunidos con sus hijos.
- Trabajamos con organizaciones locales y gubernamentales que puedan ayudar a expeditar el proceso de custodia mientras esperan su juicio.
- Servicios para incluir servicios de referencia legal, ayuda y tener equipos de respuesta rapida para asistir a detenidos & familias recientemente liberados.