We all need to be there for each other in any way possible. I want to make sure I’m doing my part. 

Because if we don’t have empathy and humanity and we do not love thy neighbor, then we are lost. 

In honor of due process and basic human dignity. Love Paul gilbrook jr. 

Investing in organizations that strengthen our support networks ensures every person can live authentically and without fear. The ECC’s commitment to providing resources, affordable housing, and a collaborative hub for advocacy helps keep our community resilient and strong.

Ward 2 Mutual Aid is so important to our community! Much love to all the organizers!

People in poverty deserve access to high quality dental care-- and Community Dental Care provides that in a culturally sensitive manner to people of all ages and abilities!

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

Equality Community Center is a non-profit organization. It is based in Portland, ME. It received its nonprofit status in 2018.

The Equality Community Center is a collaborative workplace for LGBTQ+ and allied social justice seeking non-profit organizations.

We strive to be a safe and inclusive gathering space that provides social and educational programming for all, while supporting the most marginalized in our communities.

Equality Community Center

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

We provide comprehensive oral health care for people in need of all ages. Serving 50,000 patients annually at 5 clinics in MN. 

Our mission is to provide culturally sensitive community oral health care, preventive education, professional training, and to advocate for access for all. 

Our vision is that all people will have access to high quality, affordable dental care to improve their overall health in a convenient, caring, and respectful environment.

We are a nonprofit organization, and we serve patients from all walks of life and economic circumstances. We want to make high-quality dentistry available to anyone who needs care. We have over 200 dedicated employees, including dentists, hygienists, assistants, and an administrative team who are continually improving care and delivering the best possible dentistry.

Community Dental Care

The Guatemalan-Maya Center Inc is a nonprofit organization focused on human and civil rights and advocacy.

Our story begins with **Father Frank O'Loughlin**, our Executive Director, whose unwavering dedication to migrant workers spans over 50 years of advocacy and service.

​Father Frank’s journey with the Mayan people began in the early 1980s, when he served as a parish priest in Indiantown, Florida. During this time, he encountered Mayan migrant workers who were not just laborers, but refugees escaping the horrors of the Guatemalan genocide, seeking sanctuary and a new life.

​Before this, in the 1970s, Father Frank was deeply involved in the farmworker movement alongside Cesar Chavez. Inspired by Chavez’s tireless fight for justice, Father Frank worked in solidarity with the United Farm Workers, advocating for fair wages and better conditions for migrant workers. This experience strengthened his lifelong commitment to standing with marginalized communities and fighting for their rights.

In 1992, this powerful connection led to the founding of the Guatemalan-Maya Center. Our mission was clear from the start: to assist, advocate for, and provide services to Maya refugees and others in need, focusing on areas such as education, health, immigration, cultural continuity, and family preservation. We honor and support the Maya culture as we embrace the new environments in which we all live, empowering families to thrive in their new homes.

​Our work has always been rooted in advocacy for the inalienable rights that belong to every human being. We stand for the belief that the Maya, like all people, have the right to spiritually live in peace and dignity.

​What began with a commitment to providing prenatal care for indigenous women in Palm Beach County has grown into a network of support for an ever-evolving community. Over the years, our programs have expanded, addressing the emerging needs of over 1,000 families every month, representing more than 28 countries. With a deep focus on family, we continue to create a place of support, empowerment, and hope, grounded in compassion, solidarity, and a shared commitment to justice for all.

The Guatemalan-Maya Center, Inc

We’re a nonprofit accelerating the growth of women entrepreneurs in food and beverage.

Our mission is to create a more equitable and inclusive industry where women have a strong voice and equal decision-making power by addressing access to capital, opportunities, and resources. 

Regarding Her

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

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

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

Inviolate Initiative funds and facilitates forensic psychological evaluations in immigration cases.

Inviolate Initiative increases the accessibility of mental health assessments in the immigration cases of survivors of domestic abuse and trafficking. Inviolate strengthens survivors’ access to legal victory and mental health as they seek lawful U.S. immigration status. Our mission is to connect undocumented survivors to all of their own power, agency, and possibility as they heal from the cruelty they have suffered, and as they move beyond to continue building their own lives, on their own terms.

Inviolate is a fiscally sponsored project of the [Center for Transformative Action (CTA)](https://centerfortransformativeaction.org/index.php), an educational 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that is legally and financially responsible for all our activities. 

**The Problem**

Undocumented survivors are among the most under-served, otherized people in the world, standing at the harrowing intersection of disenfranchisement based on socioeconomics, race, ethnicity, immigration status, sexual orientation, and gender status. Mental health care is a significant need for this population, with many traumatized by abuse. However, psychological studies show that mental health is historically not a “community priority” for this group, and foundation and grant funding for this need has been decreasing. Barriers to mental health care for this population also include individual survivors’ lack of financial resources. 
  
Mental health assessments carry an importance beyond psychological wellness. The assessments can culminate in thorough psychological evaluation reports, which serve as evidence in survivors’ immigration cases.  Through Inviolate Initiative, comprehensive mental health assessments are provided so that undocumented survivors can protect their own due process rights, present their immigration cases fully, and begin to heal and thrive.
 
**Our Approach**

By expanding access to psychological evaluations in the context of the immigration cases of undocumented survivors of domestic abuse and trafficking, Inviolate Initiative recognizes that assessing and documenting mental traumas and conditions is essential to due process and mental health. Inviolate partners with nonprofit immigration organizations that are providing legal services to applicants for immigration relief, supplementing their services with Inviolate’s mental health assessments and evidentiary reports.
 
**Our Team**

Monica Esmeralda Ahmad-Yee, Esq., Founder and Co-Director

Veronica Morales Mendez, Co-Director
  
**Advisory Board**
 
 

- Kathy Elisca Clermont 
- Nathilee Caldeira, Ph.D.
- Tara Mooney, Esq 
- Suryia Rahman, Esq. 
- Dalissy J. Washington, LCSW
 

**Contact information** 

Monica Esmeralda Ahmad-Yee, Esq
[monica@inviolateinitiative.org](mailto:monica@inviolateinitiative.org) 
   

Inviolate Initiative

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

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

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

TimeBanks.Org advances the common good with TimeBank communities throughout the globe by addressing the needs of your community.

In the last 2 decades, communities around the world have discovered a new kind of currency where everyone can give and receive.  TimeBanking is a modern system of exchange where members pool their talents, skills and passions and exchange them for the currency of TIME.  One hour equals one time credit no matter the service.  TimeBanks.Org helps these communities thrive by offering training, support and cutting-edge timebanking software, and provides the infrastructure for the worldwide movement.

TimeBanks.Org

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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

Defending Our Neighbors Fund

Defending Our Neighbors Fund

Equality Community Center

Defending Our Neighbors Fund

Ward 2 Mutual Aid

Immigrants