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immigration issues

Jewish Community Foundation Increases Grants to Immigrant and Refugee Organizations after an Influx of Donations

New Mexico Jewish Journal

New Mexico Jewish Journal

— 2 min read
Jewish Community Foundation Increases Grants to Immigrant and Refugee Organizations after an Influx of Donations
https://www.jcfnm.org/what-we-do/scholarships-grants

By Vivian Skadron, JCF Grants Committee, Co-Founder of the JCF Immigrant and Refugee Assistance Fund

This month, the Jewish Community Foundation of New Mexico (JCFNM) announced an increase in grantmaking through its Immigrant and Refugee Assistance Fund as a result of significant donations pouring into the fund over the past four months. With stricter immigration policies in place that are affecting the lives of many individuals and families in New Mexico, JCFNM saw a sudden surge of donations from Jewish donors focused on supporting immigrant and refugee rights, opportunities and representation throughout the state. 

Taking quick action, the JCFNM allocated a second round of grants to the New Mexico Immigrant Law Center, Encuentro, New Mexico Dreamers Project and United Voices for Newcomers Rights – nearly doubling initial grant amounts that had been issued in May. Funds will be used to provide legal assistance, advocacy, education, workforce development and social services.

Established by the JCFNM in 2017, and spearheaded by the Grants Committee, the Immigrant and Refugee Assistance Fund was established to integrate Jewish values of hachnasat orchim (welcoming the stranger) and tikkun olam (repairing the world) while meeting the pressing needs of organizations facing an increased demand for services and decreased funding. In eight years, the fund has invested nearly $135,000 to these four organizations as well as to Albuquerque Faithworks Collaboration, ABQ Asylum Seekers Council and El Centro de Igualdad y Derechos. 

Since its inception, the Immigrant and Refugee Assistance Fund has supported programs that provide a range of services including: pro-bono immigration and citizenship legal counsel; access to mental and physical health services; ESL and course preparation for citizenship classes; assistance with completing naturalization applications; access to resources around educational systems, language barriers, economic instability, loss of social support and family separations; basic needs including food security for recently arrived refugees; and higher education and advanced career opportunities for newcomers. 

As a sanctuary city, Albuquerque, specifically, has uniquely been home to immigrants and refugees fleeing various conflicts around the world. Grants from the JCFNM’s Immigrant and Refugee Assistance Fund have proudly reflected the diversity of these communities with funds reaching individuals and families from areas including the Great Lakes Region of Africa (Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda, Rwanda, Zimbabwe), Afghanistan, the Middle East (Iraq, Syria), Mexico, and Central and South America. 

“Through the Immigrant and Refugee Assistance Fund our hope is to unite donors of all backgrounds who share the universal desire to support some of New Mexico’s most vulnerable residents,” said Sarah Winger, the Executive Director of the JCFNM. “As a community foundation, our priority is connecting donors to the causes they care about and ensuring funds have the greatest impact possible for nonprofit organizations throughout New Mexico.” 

Learn more about the JCFNM’s Immigrant and Refugee Assistance Fund here. 

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