Relief for NYC's Refugee Families

As our fiscal year draws to an end on June 30, we wanted to look back on a year of incredible impact for the protected status youth whom we serve, and spotlight one who benefited directly from your support.

Growing up in Nicaragua, Samuel* looked around and realized that poverty, political discrimination, and human rights attacks were part of daily life in his home country — one of the poorest in the Western Hemisphere. As an unaccompanied minor, he fled to America in search of a better life, but was caught by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and detained at the U.S.-Mexico border. He was then transferred to New York City and later placed into Children’s Aid’s foster care program.

Samuel is doing well with his current foster family, and his social worker, Karen, describes him as a smart, intelligent, and respectful young man. He is finishing 10th grade, and his English skills and grades are strong enough for him to move up. His social workers from Children’s Aid also provide emotional support and counseling to Samuel to help with all of his transitions, the continued strain of being separated from his birth family, and anything else he needs to remain happy and cared for.

We are also working with him to secure his “special immigration juvenile” status, which would provide legal protections for him in the United States and pave a way to obtain a green card. After high school, he wants to enlist in the U.S. military to defend the country that has followed through on giving him the better life he sought.

To make all of the appointments with his immigration attorney, travel to high school, and meet with his Children’s Aid staff, Samuel encountered a roadblock that many children in foster care face: transportation costs, which often aren’t covered by the foster care system. Your support is providing him with a MetroCard so he can get to his appointments, arrive at school, and continue to receive support in his journey to achieving all of his goals.

Thank you for ensuring that Samuel, and others just like him, can take the steps necessary to have a better life.

*Since Samuel is still undocumented, we cannot share his real name or photo in order to protect his safety and security.

With nearly $4,000 raised to provide COVID-19 relief to refugees over the past couple years, we’ve been able to make a real difference for youth who have come to New York City for a better life. This past summer and fall, our social workers had conversations directly with our youth in foster care who have a variety of protected or undocumented statuses (refugee, special immigrant juvenile, etc.). Together, they identified investments that would provide relief during these trying times and help them achieve their goals as they establish independent lives in America. We wanted to share a few examples of the recent impact you made with your gifts:

• CAREER GOALS
  
  Gilberto* received no formal education in his native Honduras, where he grew up in extreme poverty. He entered the United States as an unaccompanied minor and was caught by border patrol agents who detained him in an ICE detention facility at the southern border. He eventually ended up in our foster care program, where he works with social workers to address trauma and PTSD from various hardships he has endured. He’s now mapping out a future career plan. He has expressed a passion for creating music, and his social worker wants to cultivate that spark. Thanks to your generosity, his social worker, Caroline, got him a laptop that he uses to create music, and he is now building up his portfolio so he can pursue his music dreams.

• WARM CLOTHES FOR WINTER
  
  Jessica* moved to America for a better life. Unfortunately, the guardian she was staying with kicked her out of her home, leaving Jessica to fend for herself. She ended up in Children’s Aid’s foster care program. When the weather started getting colder this fall, Jessica didn’t have enough warm clothing to last her through the winter. She turned to her social worker, Jalen, who was able to fill that need thanks to the funds you provided.
  
  
• A FITNESS OUTLET
  
  Yusef* had a hard time adjusting to the isolation during the most difficult days of COVID-19. When he was stuck inside, he began to engage in unhealthy routines like not exercising or participating in social outlets. He also wasn’t communicating with his social worker like he used to. Even as the restrictions lifted, Yusef was having a hard time getting back into the swing of things. His social worker, Daniel, had an idea: Why not get him a bike to draw him back out of his shell? He provided Yusef with a bike, and it incentivized him to get outside and establish a healthier routine — and that’s exactly what he’s doing.

These are just three of the many protected-status or undocumented youth whom you helped during these challenging times, and their lives are better because of it. Moreover, they were touched by your generosity – you don’t know them personally, but you gave to them anyway. Thank you.

*This is an alias name used to protect the privacy and security of our non-citizen youth, but all other details of the support and background are factual.