I work with adult students whose families are here due to Temporary Protected Status. They have completed medical training in desperately needed specialties, and their work authorizations are not being renewed. They are going home unable to work in their fields, afraid that their families will be attacked at any time. This is unconscionable and unChristian. 

This help is critical to many, and essential now to stand up for freedom, humanity and democracy in our communities 

  I give because I support the diversity of immigrants that enter our communities enriching our communities in endless ways. 

Welcoming immigrants is a moral necessity. Out of the Mattress is going a step further, doing the hard work of integrating Americans into the social fabric and ensuring they receive all the benefits of the society we've built.  

An urgent lifeline to local organizations providing legal and bond support to immigrant families and individuals who need it most.

**The Defending Our Neighbors Fund is powered by everyday people, like you, stepping up and building a vital lifeline to support our immigrant neighbors, loved ones, and communities against injustice.**

We all deserve to be treated fairly and with dignity. Yet every day, immigrant families are forced to navigate a complex and punishing immigration system alone, **without access to legal counsel**. Even young children, the most vulnerable members of our communities, are facing trained prosecutors without anyone by their side.

**This is why the Defending Our Neighbors Fund exists.** 

Today, there are more than 6 million U.S. households who have a family member at risk of detention or deportation. Right now, the federal government is funneling $170 billion of our taxpayer dollars to dramatically increase enforcement in our cities, all while slashing funding for legal service organizations who provide critical support for immigrants and make sure they have access to a lawyer. The Defending Our Neighbors Fund is a rapid-response effort to meet this urgent need for legal representation head-on, working to ensure families have access to life-saving legal support, and when possible, bond assistance.

**Access to legal representation makes a profound difference in whether families can stay together.**

As people's due process rights continue to be violated — affecting tens of thousands of people who are immigrants, children, and even U.S. citizens and green card holders — the need for legal counsel is skyrocketing. Studies show that in 2024, there were more than 2.5 million cases in immigration court where people did not have legal representation. Having access to a lawyer is often the difference between a family staying together or being separated indefinitely. 

To meet the ballooning demand in this moment, the Defending Our Neighbors Fund is quickly deploying high-impact grants to trusted organizations providing legal and, when possible, bond assistance to communities in need, this includes organizations that are:

- Serving communities with large immigrant populations
- Serving communities in legal deserts, and
- Serving communities near some of the country’s most active immigration detention and processing centers

**In this moment of division, we must all come together to defend our neighbors.** 

Supported by United We Dream and the ACLU, the Defending Our Neighbors Fund is hosted by Abundant Futures Fund (a fiscally sponsored project of Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors), and aims to raise and deploy $30 million to grassroots organizations to meet this crisis with action and care.

**We, the people, will power this movement with small dollar contributions. Your donation supports trusted organizations providing legal representation and, when possible, bond assistance, to communities in need.**

Thank you for helping us defend our communities at such a critical moment. Your support makes all the difference.

Defending Our Neighbors Fund

Open Doors English is an English as a Second Language Program for adults in Ithaca, NY. All students are welcome!

Open Doors English's mission is to “offer English classes so that adults can participate fully in community life, advocate and care for themselves and their families, and pursue their goals.” Our student body is comprised of immigrants, refugees, asylum-seekers, farm workers, and temporary residents. All students are welcome, and ODE has served 200-300 students per year since opening in 2019. 

At Open Doors English, students:
- Develop or improve their ability to speak, read, write, and listen in English
- Build the confidence needed to communicate effectively in everyday life situations.
- Learn communication and language skills to perform in current and future jobs
- Acquire advanced language skills and training to pursue educational opportunities
- Increase their understanding of American culture and society
- Receive assistance and make connections to other community resources and agencies
- Connect with people, organizations, and events in the Ithaca area
- Have fun while learning
- Find belonging in a community of international friends

Open Doors English is a project of the Center for Transformative Action, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, which accepts all funds on our behalf.

Open Doors English

Giving immigrants the knowledge to navigate U.S. financial systems and build lasting wealth.

Most financial education fails immigrants because it doesn’t reflect their reality. Our practical, accessible personal finance program helps immigrants break the cycle of living paycheck-to-paycheck and plan their financial futures.

**Vision:** We’re building a country where all of us, no matter where we’re born, have the financial skills to plan for the future, fulfill our dreams, and achieve lasting peace of mind.

**Impact:** Our pilot program has already helped immigrants ranging from 25 to 60 years old build the foundational skills to manage their money. 85% of students have opened a investment or a high-yield savings account by the time they finish the course. In addition, they have higher credit literacy and financial confidence, and lower financial stress.

Out of the Mattress

Mutual aid organization supporting neighbors in Washington DC, Ward 2.

[Click here to join our newsletter to get updates and get involved](https://subscribepage.io/sHh86L)

What is Mutual Aid?

**Mutual aid is “cooperation for the sake of the common good.” It’s getting people to come together to meet each other’s needs, recognizing that as humans, our survival is dependent on one another.**

Mutual Aid is a practice and politics that emphasizes solidarity rather than charity. It means we recognize that our well-being, health and dignity are all bound up in each other. It means that we understand our survival depends on cooperation, not competition. In this particular moment, we see that our health is also dependent on other people’s health, and we can literally save each other’s lives. Rather than disengage and feel powerless, mutual aid allows us to plug in where we can make the most impact — locally.

Mutual aid IS...

- Getting people together in your community to provide material support to each other
- Building relationships with your neighbors based on trust and common interest
- Making decisions by consensus rather than relying on authority and hierarchy
- Sharing things rather than hoarding things
- Treating no one as disposable
- Providing all kinds of support, ranging from food prep to childcare to translation to emotional support, and recognizing the value of all of them
- A political education opportunity, where we build the relationships and analysis to understand why we are in the conditions that we're in
- Preparation for the next disaster (natural or economic). Next time around we'll already have relationships with each other and know who is vulnerable and needs support
- A great jumping off point for other kinds of organizing and movement work

Mutual aid IS NOT...

- Quid pro quo transactions
- Only for disasters or crises
- Charity or a way to "save" people
- A reason for a social safety net not to exist

DC Mutual Aid Network

The DC Mutual Aid Network (DCMA) is a grassroots community-led effort looking to take care of each other and keep our city as safe as possible.

- DCMA is a decentralized, community-led effort, so there is no single group that runs the network.
- There are autonomous groups for Wards 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6. Wards 7 & 8 are served together by one group.
- The DCMA Network is governed by the ward groups on topics of social media, website, fundraising, etc. The groups also share resources, best practices and offer referrals to other groups.

Ward 2 Efforts

Ward 2 Mutual Aid is part of the larger DCMA Network. Our concrete activities are:

- **Hotline** - Volunteers staff our warmline, where Ward 2 residents can call and request assistance.
- **Groceries** - We provide a grocery bag delivery to ~150 families that request it through our hotline or building captains. The bags include fresh produce, protein, dry goods, and requested household items.
- **Encampment Outreach** - We organize a supply drop to ~120 unhoused neighbors.
- **Building captains** - We organize with local residents to utilize their leadership and relational networks. Building captains check on neighbors, relay needs, and assist with food donations and distribution.
- **Back to school** - We organize with local parents to host a book and clothing swap.
- **Support for high risk/immuno-compromised individuals** - We have been partnering with local public housing buildings to drop off cleaning supplies, masks, and groceries.

[Click here to join our newsletter to get updates and get involved](https://opencollective.com/redirect?url=https%3A%2F%2Fsubscribepage.io%2FsHh86L).

Ward 2 Mutual Aid

Since 1945, Neighborhood House of Milwaukee has inspired discovery in generations of youth and families.

Neighborhood House of Milwaukee's mission is to inspire discovery in children and families of all backgrounds so they become lifelong learners and confident leaders among their peers, families, and communities. 

Our accredited programs include:

- **Early Childhood Program (ECP)** (ages 6 weeks - 4 years). NH’s state-licensed and nationally accredited, early childhood program provides exceptional care and education that supports age-appropriate development and ensures school readiness. ECP also includes Early Head start programming for infants and toddlers up to age 3.
- **School-Age Youth Programs** (ages 5-12) includes a state-licensed, before- and after-school program at NH, an after-school Safe Place initiative at Story Elementary, and Summer Programming. These initiatives provide educational enrichment, recreation, and community engagement.
- **Teens on the Move Program** (ages of 13-19) provides engaging activities that focus on life and leadership skills, violence prevention, vocational preparedness, health, and recreation.
- **Family Programming** features free or very low-cost educational, cultural and holiday events.
- **International Learning Program (ILP)** offers English as a Second Language, basic education, and citizenship instruction, employment skills training, and access to resources to 200+ adult refugees and immigrants annually.
- **Environmental Education Program (EE)**. One of the oldest environmental and science education programs in the area, EE offers science-based education and enrichment activities using a NH-developed curriculum.
- **Community Education** offers health and wellness events and engages in community-wide health programs. Specific offerings include our annual health resource fair, fall flu immunization clinic, and health workshops.

Neighborhood House of Milwaukee

IILA provides transformative services for refugees, immigrants, survivors of human trafficking, & families in the greater LA area

The International Institute of Los Angeles (IILA) began in 1914 as a response to the needs of women and girls immigrating from Europe and East Asia in adjusting to their new lives in Los Angeles.  Our founding was part of the larger revolutionary vision of a social welfare worker named Edith Terry Bremer, who established the first International Institute in New York in 1910. The **International Institute movement** was unique for its time in its philosophy and approach to this work. It **embraced cultural pluralism by celebrating ethnic diversity** and encouraging immigrants to maintain their native languages, traditions and folk cultures, while also becoming engaged US citizens who contribute to their communities. 

**IILA has played a prominent role in every major refugee and immigrant wave since its founding.** For over a century, we have offered a wide range of services to assist limited-English proficient and low-income individuals achieve self-sufficiency and thrive. Over time, we also **expanded our services** to include a wide array of legal assistance, resettlement of refugees and asylum applicants, survivors of human trafficking, and free or low-cost child care and transportation. We employ over 150 people in 13 locations in Los Angeles County and have a budget of over 20 million dollars. We also have a long history of employing newcomers, who serve as valuable team members who can provide culturally sensitive assistance to those in need.

Our **commitment to upholding the dignity and supporting the self-sufficiency of refugees and immigrants** is as unwavering today as it was at our founding.  We know that new arrivals bring a vibrancy and richness, as well as economic strength, to Southern California and the wider United States that is vital for our continued growth and success.

International Institute Of Los Angeles

To alleviate hunger in Lincoln County by distributing healthy, nutritious food to our agency network & education empowerment.

Food Share of Lincoln County is one of 21 regional food banks in the Oregon Food Bank network.  Food Share of Lincoln County distributes food to its network of  local emergency food pantries, soup kitchens, produce drops, senior food box home delivery and other assistance agencies in addition to facilitating cooking classes and farmers' market tours..

Food Share of Lincoln County

Keelworks Foundation is a 501c3; we get people to work. We've helped people get to work since 2009 with resume and job experience.

Everywhere we look, we see the unemployed and the economically disadvantaged. Some we look at and say, they get what they deserve, they did work hard and I did. You can look at this problem with compassion, understanding that it isn't that simple or you can look at it from the selfish perspective: their lack of contribution affects us. 

KeelWorks helps students transition to employment, others with some education practice in area related to experience to gain qualifications for greater responsibility. In both of these, thousands have come and left with paying jobs.

We are building the KeelMaster program to respond to the more challenged unemployed and under employed. This program requires comprehensive assessment to uncover and mitigate barriers as well as identify strengths. It then assigns to small facilitated teams where they learn eight core competencies (self-identify, critical thinking, problem-solving, communication, assertiveness, team-building, goal determination, and goal management). Teams stay together with facilitation pursuing goals and supporting each other for as long as it takes for all to be stable in employment. 

The KeelMaster program has prompted the development of a learning management system, a participant environment, a participant record, and several other applications designed and developed by volunteers. Some of these we hope to offer as a vehicle for funding the foundation and an endowment fund. 

For every life we change, we affect families, generations, communities, and nations. We all need to contribute and feel we are a part of some solution. We all deserve satisfying work. 

Keelworks Foundation

Kids’ Club supports underserved youth in our community by awarding grants for programs for kids from birth to age 18 and beyond. 

Kids’ Club of Tarrytown & Sleepy Hollow provides support for underserved youth.  As a community organization, we marshal resources, increase local awareness, advocate for programming, and strengthen services to improve the lives of children and families. We collaborate with a variety of community organizations to identify needs, close gaps in services and provide opportunities for children.

*Through our close ties to the community, we are able to find, fund, and facilitate programs we believe will have the greatest impact on the lives of those we serve.* 

At Kids’ Club, we are all volunteers; we have no paid staff.  We all live or work in the community or surrounding areas. **Administrative costs are covered through the generosity of our Board members, enabling 100% of every dollar you donate to Kids’ Club to help the children and families we serve.** 

Kids' Club of Tarrytown & Sleepy Hollow, Inc.

New Hope Community Ministries is a faith-based NPO serving low-income residents in Haledon & Prospect Park, NJ. All are welcome.

**New Hope Community Ministries** is a faith-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to empowering low-income families in Haledon and Prospect Park, NJ. We believe in holistic transformation—providing **food security, financial assistance, education, and supportive community programs** that equip individuals to thrive.

Through our **Food Pantry and The Harvest buying club**, we address food insecurity by offering nutritious options at no cost or reduced prices. Our **financial assistance programs** help families navigate crises, while **education and mentoring initiatives** provide essential skills for long-term success. We also foster **community connections** through support groups, case management, and resource navigation.

With your support, we can continue **feeding families, stabilizing households, and empowering individuals** to build a brighter future. Every donation fuels real change—providing food, resources, and hope to those who need it most. **Join us in making a lasting impact!**

New Hope Community Ministries

MAS promotes justice, dignity and equity by partnering on migrant-identified health, legal, and educational needs.

These are frightening and uncertain times for our migrant neighbors, with heartbreaking reports of masked federal agents raiding workplaces and homes to violently arrest, detain, and deport migrant workers. Increased immigration enforcement is separating U.S. born children from their parents, often without due process or a valid legal basis. Migrant
Advocacy and Support (MAS) partners with migrants to respond to this changing environment by:                                                                                                             

Assisting families in completion of emergency preparedness documents to prepare for the event of one or both parents being separated from their children:                                                       • temporary guardianship                                                                                                           • parental permission to travel,                                                                                                   • power of attorney, and                                                                                                         • authorization to pick up paychecks) 

Helping migrant understand their rights in a changing legal environment and how to respond in an encounter with federal agents. 

Trainings on “How to Speak with Children about Immigration Rights, Detentions and Family Separation” to prepare for the event of family separation.

Training volunteers to meet the needs of migrants.

Providing health, legal and educational referrals to migrants. 

Migrant Advocacy and Support

CHOW’s mission is to support wellness within the food/beverage/hospitality industry and to improve the lives of our community.

Anyone who’s dined in a restaurant has experienced hospitality. From servers and bartenders to dishwashers and chefs, each person working in a restaurant gives their all to make guests feel welcome, cared for and nourished.

Our mission is to return the favor. To care for the people who take such good care of us. To provide a place for restaurant staff to feel supported, heard and appreciated. To facilitate gatherings where we can build meaningful connections with folks who “get it.” To lift each other up so we don’t lose anyone else to suicide, addiction or struggles surrounding mental health.

CHOW was created by individuals in the food and beverage industry to bridge the gap between personal and clinical care. Everyone in the food/beverage/hospitality industry needs community and wellness resources. For those in recovery, CHOW recognizes that long term recovery needs connection and CHOW provides opportunities for that connection.

We do this by:

- Providing mental health support for food/beverage/hospitality teams through our community-building discussion groups
- Collaborating with owners and operators to provide information and guidance on best practices for resilient workplaces
- Connecting people in crisis with comprehensive supportive services.

Culinary Hospitality Outreach And Wellness Inc

We aim to advance the mental wellbeing of our South Asian community.

In 2021, during their freshman year of college, our founders Ravi Parekh and Aaron Pandian suffered the loss of their close friend and roommate, Farhan, in a tragic murder-suicide where he took the lives of himself and his family. 

Farhan was struggling with a variety of inadequately treated mental illnesses. However, like so many members of the South Asian-American community, his parents simply lacked the tools, resources, and education necessary for providing him the care he needed.

They recognized that, as an immigrant South Asian family, they lacked the tools, resources, and education necessary for providing Farhan the care he needed. The tragedy of Farhan and his family revealed that there are many mental health issues unique to the cultural characteristics of South Asians. Understanding that these environmental factors and structural barriers to effective care created the situation which led to this tragedy, we theorized a youth-led grass-roots advocacy and education initiative that equips South Asian youth and other interested parties with access to tools and resources to understand, process, and empower.

Grass-roots efforts are often inspired by lived experiences. Our passion and drive to bridge the gaps in mental health care for South Asian individuals stem from our lived experiences.

Knowledge is empowering, and part of understanding mental health is to both learn and express empathy for those affected who are unable to receive effective care. To learn not to fear mental illness as a sibling, parent, friend, significant other, or affected individual and employ newly acquired tools that work to connect with the resources they need. 

MHISA embodies these ideals and provides us an outlet to engage those around us with a shared goal: to enable South Asians struggling with mental illness to lead better and healthful lives.

Mental Health Initiative for South Asians

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1578280819

1873740264

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We are a nonprofit, so we rely on the generosity of donors like you.

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Defending Our Neighbors Fund

Out of the Mattress

Defending Our Neighbors Fund

Defending Our Neighbors Fund

Open Doors English

Ward 2 Mutual Aid

Immigrants