Immigrant Justice Initiative
News
On April 25, IJI welcomed Bibi, a young, homeless refugee mother and her 1½ year old son into emergency housing in the manse. Bibi works and her child is in daycare. The IJI Steering Committee so decided after weighing the risks from COVID-19, and informed Yeimy, our asylum-seeker currently living in the Manse. We are pleased to take on this expression of love and solidarity on behalf of our church.
Update on Immigrant Justice activities
It has been almost two years since the Congregation approved the creation of sanctuary space in our Church. When we did so, we also affirmed efforts to support those in our immigrant community who have been marginalized and subjected to unjust threats of deportation and hateful treatment. Here is a summary of some of the actions subsequently taken by our Congregation in furtherance of these aims.
We are most appreciative of the hours of volunteer service so graciously given by 90 members of our Congregation (and 25 volunteers from other organizations), and we look forward to their continued assistance as our mission keeps evolving. We gratefully acknowledge the financial support that has been received to support the above efforts.
- The Manse has been renovated and outfitted by volunteers to create a welcoming space for immigrants in need of housing and support.
- Some 74 individuals participated in a two-hour training session geared towards understanding the history of the sanctuary movement and the needs of those agreeing to take up sanctuary.
- Congregation members have regularly volunteered to support Rosa del Carmen Ortez-Cruz, who is currently in sanctuary at the Church of Reconciliation.
- We hosted a dinner and awareness night in support of Syrian refugees.
- Temporary housing was provided for Dayana, a refugee from Cuba.
- Two separate trips were made to the Stewart Detention Center in rural Georgia, where we could witness the inhumane conditions and talk directly to a few of those incarcerated there.
- We are sponsoring Yeimy, an asylum seeker from El Salvador, which has enabled her to be released to us after six months in detention. Housing, logistic support, language services, and arrangements for medical/mental health are also being provided.
- Financial assistance was also given on behalf of this asylum seeker, by paying a portion of her bond release and providing airfare from the detention center to NC.
- Support (including transportation) is being provided to a family of asylum seekers currently residing in Chatham County.
We are most appreciative of the hours of volunteer service so graciously given by 90 members of our Congregation (and 25 volunteers from other organizations), and we look forward to their continued assistance as our mission keeps evolving. We gratefully acknowledge the financial support that has been received to support the above efforts.
How To Get INVOLVED
Volunteer
If you would be willing to help provide support for a refugee, asylum-seeking, or sanctuary guest staying at the Community Church Manse, please fill out our volunteer form. You will have the option to indicate how you would like to help (staying with guest for an overnight shift, helping to orient a guest to the larger community, etc). If you have additional questions, you can email us at c3hsanctuary@gmail.com.
DonateIf you would like to support our efforts to bring more people in from the cold, we have set up a link on the church website for donations toward all costs related to the work of the Immigrant Justice Initiative. Follow the link and look under "One Time Donations" for Sanctuary and Immigrant Support. Thank you!
FURNITUREWe are not currently looking for furniture donations for the Manse. This page will be updated when additional furniture needs are determined.
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Sanctuary
On February 18, 2018, Community Church of Chapel Hill voted to become a sanctuary congregation by passing the following motion:
"Be it resolved that we, the members of The Community Church of Chapel Hill, Unitarian Universalist, publicly declare our intent to be a Sanctuary Church. Before officially hosting someone in our space, we will seek to build a relationship with the sanctuary guest so that each party feels comfortable that this would be a fruitful and safe undertaking, respecting the needs and boundaries of both the individual and the congregation. Further, we dedicate ourselves to educate and activate our congregation and community, to amplify and respond to the voices of immigrant leaders, and to speak out against discrimination towards marginalized people. The Sanctuary and Immigrant Support Ministry, with and through the Minister, will provide periodic reports to the Board of Trustees regarding actions taken pursuant to this resolution."
The Sanctuary Movement is a multi-faith movement to provide support and protection for immigrants in danger of deportation and to advocate for more just treatment of immigrant populations. For more information about sanctuary congregations, see the Unitarian Universalist Association page on the sanctuary movement. Local and national news stories about the Sanctuary Movement or other issues related to immigration can be found here.
Answers to common questions about the practical considerations of offering sanctuary at Community Church of Chapel Hill can be found in the Practical Considerations document and the Top Five Questions document, and an overview of issues related to becoming a sanctuary church is available here.
Answers to common questions about the practical considerations of offering sanctuary at Community Church of Chapel Hill can be found in the Practical Considerations document and the Top Five Questions document, and an overview of issues related to becoming a sanctuary church is available here.
Tutoring
Click here to download a list of some of the tutoring and other volunteer opportunities with immigrants in our area. It includes contact information.
Past Work
The work of the Sanctuary and Immigrant Support Ministry so far has included:
- Members volunteering as tutors in immigrant communities through the Chatham Literacy Council.
- A special “Bountiful Bags” food drive in June 2017 in response to a growing need expressed by the Interfaith Council for Social Services.
- Members volunteering as drivers for Syrian refugees to a picnic held in Carrboro in May 2017.
- Donating church space for a meeting of Movement to End Racism and Islamophobia (MERI).
- Sending members to The Gathering: Sanctuary and Immigration on August 6, 2017 led by Rev. William Barber and Repairers of the Breach.
- Establishing of a shared covenant with our neighboring UU congregations (Eno River UU Fellowship, UU Fellowship of Hillsborough, UU Fellowship of Raleigh, Mutual Aid Carrboro) to promise financial support, volunteer support, and moral support for Sanctuary efforts.
- Contacting local congregations and organizations to find out about opportunities for partnership and collaboration.
- Sending a team to the Sanctuary Matters: Testimony and Best Practices conference at United UCC on September 16, 2017.
