Staying silent is not an option. The monsters among us are not the majority. Those of us who believe in human dignity and the Constitution outnumber, by far, the loathsome creatures that have slivered out from under the rocks where they belong. 

This is not the America I know, or want my children, neighbors and friends to grow up in. We should want a robust immigration system and community. That will make us a better country in every way!

I gave because I care and want to be a defense for my neighbors.

While building Every.org I chatted with Chris Blattman, a UChicago poverty/conflict researcher who designed READI Chicago, which provides men prone to commit gun violence with jobs, therapy and opportunity.

It's a high-leverage intervention - a small number of people are responsible for most gun violence, so helping them greatly benefits their communities. With the firepower of his research, the clarity of its impact, and the growing scale of the project, it's my way of helping make Chicago, my brother's home, even greater than it already is.

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

Ending poverty by ensuring equity & opportunity for all people. We help people achieve prosperity through housing, healthcare, jobs, and justice. Chicago based, globally focused. Visit heartlandalliance.org to learn more

Heartland Alliance advances the human rights and responds to the human needs of endangered populations—particularly the poor, the isolated, and the displaced—through the provision of comprehensive and respectful services and the promotion of permanent solutions leading to a more just global society.

Heartland Alliance International

Building collective power to transform early childhood systems in Washington state.

Pathwaves WA creates pathways for leaders of color to hold decision-making roles in early childhood systems so they can equitably drive and shape the design of policies that affect future generations of our kids and our communities.

Pathwaves Washington

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

An interfaith network of congregations in the Washington, D.C. area working together to support our immigrant neighbors.

CAN mobilizes people of faith and faith communities throughout the DC metro area to advocate and organize for immigration rights. Our goal is to ensure immigrants have access to housing, healthcare, education, food, and legal protections. We work closely with experienced immigration groups and listen to immigrants from our faith communities to create a safe, welcoming place for everyone, no matter where they're from.

Congregation Action Network

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

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

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

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

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.

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

ROC-DC is building power with restaurant workers in DC to create a more just, dignified and equitable restaurant industry. 

**Background**

ROC-DC has been building power with restaurant workers since 2009. We are a small worker-led organization that utilizes base-building, organizing and worker-led advocacy to move our mission forward. We have a strong focus on community building and leadership development to strengthen our ability as a restaurant worker community to make the changes we want to see in our industry and in DC. ROC-DC is fully independent organization from ROC-United (circa June 2024).  

**Addressing the Current Moment**

ROC-DC has been specifically equipped to support workers during crises, and have provided systems of support, training and mutual aid during the threats of Trump's first presidency, during the COVID-19 pandemic and currently under the federal occupation of Washington, DC that is putting so many of our members and restaurant workers at risk. ROC-DC has not only been providing necessary mutual aid support to our members, but also building out systems where workers can support one another during this time. We have provided comprehensive resources to restaurant owners/management supported members with creating Emergency Family Plans and provided ongoing community  & healing spaces to share resources and stay in community during such a stressful and isolating time.

**Becoming a Donor!**

As a small, independent organization, your donation makes an incredible impact on supporting the longevity, sustainability and capacity of ROC-DC. We encourage supporters to become monthly sustainers to our work. If you would like your donation to be used for a specific program or mutual aid area, please specify! We thank you so much for your care and love for restaurant workers, especially during such a difficult time.

**With solidarity & love,**

**Team ROC-DC! <3**

ROC DC

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

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Ex-cofounder and Head of Engineering at Every.org. I work so others can receive the level of support I've personally benefited from.

.css-1wjgqn{display:inline-block;--textSize:1.5rem;--lineHeight:1.7999999999999998rem;line-height:var(--lineHeight);font-size:var(--textSize);width:100%;}Immigrants

Defending Our Neighbors Fund

Heartland Alliance International

Defending Our Neighbors Fund

Pathwaves Washington

Defending Our Neighbors Fund

Open Doors English

Immigrants