Family Housing Fund

I'm Anna Stamborski, I live in South Minneapolis and am a faith-based organizer who was asked in early December by a Latine-led organizing entity to help coordinate grocery and ride requests for neighbors who were afraid to leave and work due to the presence of ICE agents. What was once 3-5 requests a day from south Minneapolis has turned into the largest mutual aid network in the Twin Cities where we have 2,000 volunteers fulfilling 80 requests a day from neighbors across the metro area. However, when neighbors say thank you when receiving the grcoeries, many are now asking "Can you also help with rent?"

That's why we have the bold goal to raise $1.3 million to help 1,000 families pay their rent this month.

Since December, federal agents, primarily ICE and Border Patrol, have been brutalizing our community: dragging people from cars, entering private homes without cause, brandishing weapons in front of children, deploying tear gas near families, and abducting parents at school bus stops. People are afraid to leave their homes – scared to go to work, to the doctor, to the grocery store, or even to take their children to school.

Across the Twin Cities, local families are facing detention, separation, and displacement due to these extreme ICE enforcement actions. Now, many in the community are facing an urgent financial crisis: the rent is due, fridges are empty, and basic household expenses are piling up.

In response, friends and neighbors came together to create Neighbors Helping Neighbors, a community-led support network rooted in mutual aid. We are powered by volunteers and many others who have brought people together in the spirit of care and community. The Family Housing Fund, a nonprofit based in the Twin Cities, has partnered with us as the fiscal sponsor for this relief effort to allow us to get funds quickly and safely to our neighbors in need.

Our goal of raising at least $1,300,000 will allow us to support 1,000 families as we persist through ICE raids and try to recover in the aftermath. There are news reports that some ICE agents may leave Minneapolis in the coming weeks, and we hope that’s true. As we work to make ourselves whole again, right now thousands of families in Minneapolis are behind on rent and urgently need your support. We are currently receiving requests for thousands of dollars of rent relief per hour.

My name is Aaron and I am representing Neighbors Helping Neighbors, a mutual aid organization helping communities heal and meet basic needs after ICE raids. I am a resident pediatrician in Minneapolis and I've had the opportunity to support this group as an organizer. I've been amazed by the selflessness, care and determination of my colleagues in their efforts to sustain our community.

We’ve already distributed over $236,000 in rent relief to more than 150 families, and we’re receiving more requests than we have resources to cover. We've partnered with our fiscal sponsor, the Family Housing Fund, to relaunch our fundraising campaign. I'm asking that you consider helping our mission with a donation to keep vulnerable neighbors housed throughout the current ICE surge.

Background:

Since December, federal agents, primarily ICE and Border Patrol, have been brutalizing our community: dragging people from cars, entering private homes without cause, brandishing weapons in front of children, deploying tear gas near families, and abducting parents at school bus stops. People are afraid to leave their homes – scared to go to work, to the doctor, to the grocery store, or even to take their children to school.

Across the Twin Cities, local families are facing detention, separation, and displacement due to these extreme ICE enforcement actions. Now, many in the community are facing an urgent financial crisis: the rent is due, fridges are empty, and basic household expenses are piling up.

In response, friends and neighbors came together to create Neighbors Helping Neighbors, a community-led support network rooted in mutual aid. We are powered by volunteers and many others who have brought people together in the spirit of care and community. The Family Housing Fund, a nonprofit based in the Twin Cities, has partnered with us as the fiscal sponsor for this relief effort to allow us to get funds quickly and safely to our neighbors in need.

My name is Anna Schmitz, and I'm a Minneapolis mom, wife, and community organizer. I'm also the Executive Director of Whittier Alliance, the Whittier neighborhood organization.

Whitter is a wonderful, diverse neighborhood where banh mi shops are nestled next to taquerias. There are yoga studios, bike lanes, apartment buildings, and the largest Somali mall in the country. The local elementary school's end-of-year play is performed in English, Spanish, and Somali.

At that same elementary school, 40% of students are now attending school online while their families shelter at home. Parents have been detained, and school volunteer leads send late-night texts asking for names of lawyers in Texas. ICE agents have circled the block during school drop-off.

Alex Pretti was murdered blocks from our office. Volunteers brought air purifiers to the office that day to clear the teargas from the air while we kept the office open for rapid responders and fielded calls from businesses whose employees were trapped inside.

Amidst all the chaos, one thing has stayed the same: Rent is due every month.

I'm getting calls, texts, and emails daily from neighbors, social workers, pediatricians, and teachers trying to find ways to help families pay rent. When your home is the only safe place you have, leaving your home is not an option.

We needed a citywide rent fund YESTERDAY. I'm glad we have one today.

That's why I'm putting my full support (and a hell of a lot of work!) behind Neighbors Helping Neighbors , a remarkable mutual aid project that has emerged out of the ICE surge. NHN has matched hundreds of neighbors with volunteers to provide rides to work and help put food on the table.

Today, Neighbors Helping Neighbors has the bold goal of raising $1.3mil to pay rent for 1,000 neighbors this month.

I would be deeply moved if you chipped in to help us hit that goal. Every dollar from this fund will go straight to helping neighbors pay rent--the fiscal sponsor is taking zero admin fee.

Neighbors Helping Neighbors is now fiscally sponsored by Family Housing Fund , a 501c3 nonprofit with decades of experience in housing stability. Your donation is tax deductible.

Learn more about Neighbors Helping Neighbors: https://nhn-tc.org/

Learn more about Family Housing Fund: https://www.fhfund.org/

My name is Chris and I am supporting Neighbors Helping Neighbors, a collaborative of Minneapolis local organizations who are on the ground helping communities heal and meet basic needs after ICE raids. I've had a chance to meet these local groups and am blown away by their care, dedicate and values in helping/healing communities.

Since December, federal agents, primarily ICE and Border Patrol, have been brutalizing our community: dragging people from cars, entering private homes without cause, brandishing weapons in front of children, deploying tear gas near families, and abducting parents at school bus stops. People are afraid to leave their homes – scared to go to work, to the doctor, to the grocery store, or even to take their children to school.

Across the Twin Cities, local families are facing detention, separation, and displacement due to these extreme ICE enforcement actions. Now, many in the community are facing an urgent financial crisis: the rent is due, fridges are empty, and basic household expenses are piling up.

In response, friends and neighbors came together to create Neighbors Helping Neighbors, a community-led support network rooted in mutual aid. We are powered by volunteers and many others who have brought people together in the spirit of care and community. The Family Housing Fund, a nonprofit based in the Twin Cities, has partnered with us as the fiscal sponsor for this relief effort to allow us to get funds quickly and safely to our neighbors in need.

Our goal of raising at least $1,300,000 will allow us to support 1,000 families as we persist through ICE raids and try to recover in the aftermath. There are news reports that some ICE agents may leave Minneapolis in the coming weeks, and we hope that’s true. As we work to make ourselves whole again, right now thousands of families in Minneapolis are behind on rent and urgently need your support. We are currently receiving requests for thousands of dollars of rent relief per hour.