Ways to help with Immigrant Justice

Immigration Justice and What You Can Do

“You too must befriend the stranger, for you were
strangers in the land of Egypt.”

Deuteronomy 10:19

From its beginning, Mount Zion Temple has been active in immigrant justice. In 1897, the Mount Zion Ladies Hebrew Benevolent Society led Mount Zion to form Neighborhood House as a settlement house for the numerous Eastern European immigrants living on the West Side of St. Paul. In the early 1980s, Mount Zion sponsored four Southeast Asian families as they relocated to the United States. In the late 1990s, Mount Zion supported a family from Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Mount Zion has a longstanding commitment to serving undocumented residents of the U.S. This commitment was reinforced by a Board resolution in October 2017 committing Mount Zion to provide aid to people at risk of deportation from the United States. Mount Zion clarified the Resolution on Immigrant Justice at the February 13, 2018 Board Meeting.  Since then, Mount Zion, through its Tzedek Committee, has worked with fellow congregants and with community partners, raising awareness and conducting political advocacy for immigrants, asylum seekers and refugees. We have also worked with the St. Paul Coalition for Immigrant Justice to support efforts to house undocumented residents in our community.

Ready to act? Here is what is needed.

The Tzedek Committee offers a range of opportunities to help immigrant families living in our community:

• The Tzedek Committee is helping provide needed items to new immigrants through a Bulletin Board that posts items available and items needed. You can access the Bulletin Board here. Amy Rappoport is coordinating the Bulletin Board. If you have items to donate (including any of the needed items), please contact Amy. Also, if you are willing to help with this project, we are looking for anyone who has a truck or van to transport items, people who are willing to move items, and anyone who is aware of space that we can store small or large items. The Tzedek Committee is working with a coalition of faith groups (the Asylum Coalition for Transition – Twin Cities or ACT-TC) on this project. For more information, contact Amy.
• Casa Guadalupana, which is in St. Paul, provides a home to women and families who have been forcibly displaced from their countries of origin and are seeking a safe place to live. Casa Guadalupana is looking for volunteers who have certain skills to assist residents as the need arises. Examples of needed skills are helping with resume writing and/or assisting with job applications; assisting in purchasing cars; financial literacy and understanding credit; navigating the medical and health insurance systems; and offering to drive residents to run errands or to go to appointments. Casa Guadalupana is also looking for volunteers who are willing to take residents out for coffee to get to know them or visiting a museum or cultural site. They would also like volunteers who would be willing to bring over meals for the residents. If Mount Zion members are interested in volunteering, they can reach out to Casa Guadalupana’s Executive Director, Hannah Schwarze for more information.
• The Tzedek Committee is assisting a Pakistani woman in her 50’s who is seeking asylum. We are looking for volunteers who are willing to socialize with her and help her run errands. She speaks very good English. For more information, contact Mark Joffe.
• The Tzedek Committee is currently assisting a Peruvian asylum-seeking family. Through our longstanding collaboration with Gloria Dei Lutheran Church, the Tzedek Committee has partnered with Gloria Dei to support a Peruvian family, a young couple with an eight-year-old son. The family is living in a recently renovated apartment within Gloria Dei’s church. Volunteer opportunities will be announced as the need arises. This family needs continued financial support either through Target or grocery store gift cards or financial donations. For additional information: contact Diana Dean.

Ongoing Needs

The Tzedek Committee has the following ongoing needs to help these families and other families we may assist:

• • Target or grocery gift cards – $25.00 denominations (recommended)
  • Laptop computers (with a camera) – All computers will be wiped clean before being given to a family.
  • Cell phones – Cell phones will be returned to their factory settings before being given to the family.
  • Financial assistance. If you are willing to provide a donation, please contact Diana Dean.

[The Tzedek Committee will be adding information in the near future on opportunities to advocate for immigrant justice.]