ARCHDIOCESE LAUNCHES PARISH-WIDE DONATION CAMPAIGN TO ASSIST REUNITED IMMIGRANT FAMILIES IN LOS ANGELES
September 21, 2018  |  By:   |  Press Releases  |  

— $92,000 were collected during a two-day fundraiser to benefit 56 immigrant families assisted by Catholic Charities’ Esperanza Immigrant Rights Project —

In an effort to assist reunited immigrant and refugee families, the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, in partnership with Catholic Charities Los Angeles, is launching an online donation page that will be shared with all the parishes in LA, Ventura and Santa Barbara. The proceeds will be used for legal and education assistance to families through Catholic Charities’ Esperanza Rights Project. The online page is accessible via TheNextAmerica.org and https://secure.acceptiva.com/?cst=44fb3a.

“The tragedy of so many children being separated from their parents at the border is one of the cruel consequences of our broken immigration system and the failure of leaders in Washington,” said Archbishop José H. Gomez. “I am inspired by this initiative through Catholic Charities Los Angeles. It is a beautiful sign of compassion and it will make a big difference in the lives of these little ones and their families. But at the same time, we need to keep praying and keep working for the reform of our immigration laws — which is too long overdue.”

Last month, the Archdiocese in partnership with Catholic Charities, hosted a two-day radio fundraising campaign on Catholic broadcaster Guadalupe Radio, collecting $92,000 to benefit the campaign to help the reunited families, but more funds will be needed to support these and other families that might arrive in Los Angeles in the future, according to Isaac Cuevas, director of the Archdiocese’s Office of Immigration Affairs.

Over the course of the two-day broadcast on Guadalupe Radio, experts from Esperanza (“Hope”) Project had the opportunity to describe their first meetings with the families to explore their needs. Rita Fernandez, a representative from the Mayor’s Office of Immigration Affairs talked about the collaboration between the Archdiocese’s Office of Immigration Affairs with the City and other resources available to the community.

Archbishop Gomez and Auxiliary Bishop David O’Connell for the San Gabriel Pastoral Region thanked the station and the listeners for their support and explained the importance of helping our immigrant brothers and sisters.

Catholic Charities of Los Angeles provides support and advocacy to individuals and families, helping them to legalize their residency status and become naturalized citizens. The primary goal is to reunite families by legalizing persons residing in the United States without lawful immigration status. The program is structured to encourage economic independence in immigrant families, assimilation into the broader culture and a commitment to giving back to society. Through its Esperanza Immigrant Rights Project, Catholic Charities represents clients in immigration courts, and meets the needs of the immigrant community. For more information, visit https://www.esperanza-la.org/

Catholic Charities began providing immigration assistance in the U.S. during World War II, when refugees sought safety on American shores. Today, most clients seeking immigration services are coming from Afghanistan, Central America, Iran, Iraq, Mexico and Syria. Services are structured to assist newly-arrived immigrants in learning English, obtaining education, navigating legal matters and training for jobs that will provide, at least, a living wage. For more information, visit https://catholiccharitiesla.org/

 

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