You may have heard we are in the midst of a humanitarian crisis in Chicago caused by an influx of large numbers of asylum seekers from Venezuela over the last year. Many have been moved here by Texas Governor Greg Abbott – 40-50 people each day of July – with no friends or family or plan. Chicago is rallying, and many migrants and asylum seekers are being housed in pop-up shelters in the city. While in these shelters, these new Chicagoans are supposed to have access to shelter, safety, food, hygiene, medicine, social work, legal assistance, and ultimately aid in finding more permanent, subsidized housing by the end of the summer. As might have been predicted by anyone who has ever been an American, the bureaucracy has thus far been largely unable to keep its promises. Shelters have been increasingly crowded and dirty, access to hot water and showers has spotty at best, food has been highly questionable (spoiled, frozen, expired, inappropriate, etc.) and many residents have been provided no facilities for cooking or storing their own food safely, so those who need to augment the food provided have to rely on less-than-frugal prepared or fast food. Here’s where you come in. We are among the many Chicagoans trying to help address this crisis one family at a time. We know. One family seems like a drop in an overflowing bucket of hopelessness. We feel the same way, but right now, we also know that one drop can be huge to that one family. On June 2, we and a young Venezuelan family were thrust together. They had been in Chicago for only two days and were lost on foot in front of our house - they were headed to human services to register as asylum seekers. This chance meeting has greatly impacted both our family and theirs (and Apple Translate has been our best friend for the last 2 months). Over those weeks, the dad has gotten his City Key ID card and SSN/temporary work permit (actually, gotten them twice, after having them stolen in the shelter), as well as found a full-time job. Mom volunteered within the shelter to help other residents contact outside volunteers for assistance. And their 4-year-old likes it when Kelly lets him win in scooter races and makes chocolate chip cookies. Meanwhile, they have been ill, robbed, hungry, exhausted, threatened, and afraid, all SINCE they came to Chicago, after a journey that most of us can barely imagine. This family is kind, smart, and loving, and wants nothing but to be independent and safe. In short, they want the same things we want. We just had a leg up. We, with family and friends, have helped them get a bike, an arepa maker, a cell phone, clothes and shoes, a Ventra card, food as needed, and, I hope, a sense of welcome and hope. They were in a shelter in our neighborhood until the last week of July. When visiting the new shelter to which they were being moved -- hundreds of beds next to each other, no wi-fi, questionable safety -- half of their belongings were stolen at the original shelter. At this point, they decided they would rather be independent than in another overcrowded and less-than-safe shelter waiting indefinitely for aid that may or may not come. They have currently secured lodging in a church until the end of August where they have a kitchen, some privacy, and safety. After that, they have no idea. We have told them they will not be on the street. We’re not sure what that means yet. So far, there are no signs of social services to aid them in finding a subsidized place to live. Organizations have flatly told us it is nearly impossible, waits are very long, and many families have been waiting months for assistance. Chicago has lots of minimum wage jobs at $15/hour. This nets about $1800 per month. Not shockingly, Chicago is experiencing an affordable housing shortage - a studio apartment is a minimum of $850, a one-bedroom a minimum of $1000. We’d love to be able to ensure our friends are able to start the next phase with some sense of possibility. We have more or less used our “extra” to help for the last couple of months, but it has not been enough to provide any kind of stability. If you can join us in helping them to put by even a little, please do. $10 is antibiotics. $15 is lunch and dinner. $25 is transit for a week. $60 is a month’s phone bill. $100 is food for a week. A few $100’s added up is a security deposit. They were recently able to set up a bank account (with their new SSN) in which to put their paychecks, but as with all of us, saving up is hard when there is always some new emergency to deal with. Dad is currently working to get his Venezuelan passport and an immigration attorney for his court date in October. Mom still needs City Key and US papers. We’d love it if you could help us pad their nest egg to a size that offers a sense of independence and hope. Hopefully, we can help them find a place to live, and with that will come an ability to register their son for preschool and for Mom to find a job to help them on their path to stability and safety. We know it’s just one family, but when you share dinners, hopes, fears, sprinklers, scooters, and laughs with them, the importance of one family is patently clear. If you'd like any more information about this situation, organizations that are helping on a larger scale, our friends, and what we plan to do with this cash, please don't hesitate to reach out to either of us. And enormous thanks to our beloved family and friends who have already kicked in a little or a lot to aid in this effort. We are enormously grateful to you all.
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