Last weekend, Immigration and Customs Enforcement was deployed to Charlotte, North Carolina in an effort to ramp up operations at the behest of the Trump administration.
With over 250 arrests in the area over the past few days, and tens of thousands of students absent from school, the community has rallied to take care of its immigrant neighbors.
OurBridge For Kids, a local nonprofit that provides afterschool programming and support for refugee and immigrant families, paused its daily operations after ICE and border patrol agents were seen on-site.
But, with students and families encouraged to stay safe at home, the nonprofit quickly mobilized to help in other ways, hosting a food drive and volunteer-run grocery delivery service for families afraid to leave home.
“Charlotte shows up for their immigrant community!” OurBridge shared in a social media post just two days after they announced the pause in programming.
“With the help of over 40 volunteers and 150+ donors, we have been able to roll full steam ahead in supporting our immigrant families.”
A video shows clips of individuals packaging boxes of food, moving supplies from drop-off locations to delivery vehicles, and more.
The group shared that their biggest need was monetary donations so that they could get fresh groceries like produce and fulfill the requests of families, in addition to non-perishable items like canned goods and pantry staples.
In the video, OurBridge shared that they had already received $7,000 in financial support.
On November 20, the group shared that they were able to deliver a total of 263 boxes of groceries to families and that they would be moving to a larger space to process donations and larger needs.
“The response has been incredible,” OurBridge said.
The organization seems to be eager to support families in crisis as long as they need to, but this isn’t the first time they’ve stepped up. Founded in 2014 to “create opportunities for newly arrived families,” the nonprofit has always supported immigrant and refugee communities. They even offer their “wraparound services” in 13 languages.
“ourBRIDGE was founded by immigrants, for immigrants. We believe migration is a human right, and everyone has the right to build the life they want for themselves,” the nonprofit posted on social media earlier this week.
In addition to food delivery, the organization has also provided home-based resources and mental health support to families directly impacted by ICE operations.
“News of Border Patrol being in Charlotte has left many in our community afraid and uncertain about the safety of their families and loved ones. We want to remind all of our Charlotte neighbors that you belong here. This city is our home,” OurBridge continued.
“As always, we believe that no child should have to worry about being separated from their family.”
Those interested in supporting OurBridge can donate or sign up for updates via the organization’s website.
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Header image courtesy of Krampus Production/Pexels
