Accompanying Maria and Carlos
Our Next Steps as a Sanctuary Congregation

“Welcome the stranger” is the Torah’s call to action. We answered that call last year, when we welcomed and agreed to sponsor Maria and Carlos, Guatemalan asylum seekers whose search for safety in a strange land echoes so many of our own family histories.
 
Now living with a Havurah family, Maria and Carlos are navigating the complex process of seeking asylum in the US, assisted by Sanctuary Committee members and support from the larger Havurah community.
 
Building a new life in this country presents daunting challenges, but Maria and Carlos are resilient and share a tight bond that will help them as they move forward. Maria is a talented cook, and Carlos, a gifted artist, is doing well in a dual-language high school program.

For the past year, a core team of the Sanctuary Committee has assisted Maria and Carlos with pro bono legal representation, medical care, transportation, and educational support. Additionally, over sixty Havurah families have generously and collectively contributed $16,000 in gifts and pledges to their living expenses and travel debt.

Providing this practical support is a fulfillment of our moral imperative as a Sanctuary Congregation. In the process, we have all learned a great deal: about sanctuary as a strategy and response, about showing up, bearing witness, and raising our voices.

This summer, Maria and Carlos will take the next step in their journey: transitioning to independent living while their asylum case is pending. However, we recognize that Maria will not immediately earn enough to cover a security deposit, rent, utilities, food, and transportation.

That’s why we are announcing a new fundraising goal: to raise another $18,000 to fund the first year of independent living for Maria and Carlos (about 50% of their anticipated expenses.)

Several Havurah members have already pledged ongoing monthly contributions to help financially support the family. If you are able, we hope you will click the button above or click here and help us reach this new goal with a one-time or monthly contribution.