<div>This is the story of Hider and Carmen and their four young children ages 4, 4, 5 and 7. They are refugees from Venezuela who arrived here in Chicago in the fall of 2023. They traveled on foot, bus, boat and airplane to get here after they experienced unimaginable violence in their own home after fleeing danger in Venezuela.

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<div>Please read through this story and I’m pleading with you to consider donating to help raise the funds needed to resettle this family which will cover rent expenses, setting up a household and legal expenses.  Currently the immigration system is broken, what has been offered to refugees historically isn’t the same as years past. The family is living in the Uptown neighborhood in a shelter after staying at the Jefferson Park police station and O’Hare Airport.

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<div>They have until January 24th 2024 or 60 days at this shelter and then have no safety net for housing in Chicago in the dead of winter.

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<div>I’m asking to come together as a community to help.

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<div>In Carmen and Hider’s words here is their story, thank you for reading:

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<div>The story of their journey to Chicago:

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<li>They decided that for the safety of their children, they had to leave Venezuela.

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<li>They sold their house and left everything they ever knew behind for safety for their family.

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<li>The family left Venezuela in the Fall of 2023.
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<li>From Maracaibo, Venezuela to Maicao, Venezuela in car.

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<li>From Maicao, Venezuela to Medellín, Colombia in bus.

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<li>From Medellín, Colombia to Necoclí, Colombia in another bus. (They had a paid guide in Colombia, but only in Colombia)

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<li>Necoclí, Colombia to Acandí, Colombia in a motorboat with about 60-70 people.

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<li>They walked through the jungle in Panama for 3.5 days from Acandí to Bajo Chiquito, which is a remote indigenous community. 

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<li>There was no guide, just them. 

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<li>Others have marked the path with blue bags on the trees. 

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<li>By the end they ran out of food. The only food they had for part of the time was panela, which is “an unrefined whole cane sugar, typical of Central and Latin America. It is a solid form of sucrose derived from the boiling and evaporation of sugarcane juice.“ (from Wikipedia)

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<li>At least one of the kids got fevers during the hike through the jungle.

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<li>It was very cold at times and very wet in the jungle.

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<li>When they arrived in Bajo Chiquito, they had to register in Panama. Spent the whole day in line waiting. United Nations helped register them.

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<li>Found a place to camp in a very small space, a few feet square. $5. 

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<li>Went to the river to bathe and wash clothes. 

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<li>They left Bajo Chiquito in a “piragua” boat, which is a long and skinny dug out canoe that holds about 20 people. It was a 4 hour ride that was very stressful. First they went “Rio Abajo” (down river), then Rio Arriba (up river). They saw crocodiles in the river just a few feet away from them, and they said their mouths opened and were huge. The boat felt tippy. Carmen doesn’t know how to swim, but it didn’t matter, because even if they fell in there were crocodiles and many other things in the river.

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<li>They took a bus through Panama. 

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<li>Another bus through Costa Rica. 

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<li>Another bus through Nicaragua.

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<li>Upon arriving in Honduras, they had to get a “Salvoconducto,” which is a permit to be in the country for 5 days.

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<li>Every time they needed to pass the border in one of these Central American countries, they had to walk over the border because they couldn't go through the immigration gate.

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<li>In Guatemala, they had to take a variety of buses, not just one through the whole country. The police kept getting on the buses and making them give money.

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<li>Note: These were little buses that are more like vans that hold 15-20 people.

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<li>They took a bus to Tapachula, Mexico.

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<li>Then they traveled from Tapachula to Mexico City, both taking little buses and walking a LOT. The soles of their shoes wore away. The kids are ages 4, 4, 5, and 7. The younger ones had to be carried a lot. They’re amazed at how long and far their 7-yr-old walked.

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<li>The kids were like soldiers.

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<li>The jungle was very challenging, but Mexico was more difficult. 18 pueblos just in Mexico. It took them about a week and a half to get through Mexico.

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<li>Then one bus to Monterrey, Mexico. Exhorted by the police again.

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<li>Another bus from Monterrey, Mexico to Nueva Rosita, Mexico. The cartel robbed his cell phone.

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<li>Police touched Carmen at many points throughout the trip. They took their last money which was 400 pesos. 

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<li>They spent 2 days in Nueva Rosita, Mexico, since they had no money and weren’t able to go anywhere.

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<li>A friend then sent them a little money so they could continue when they landed int Nueva Rosita, Mexico to Piedras Negras, which is on the U.S.-Mexico border.

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<li>They walked across the Rio Grande, which went up to Hider’s neck. Hider carried three kids, had Carmen pulling his hood (she can’t swim and was terrified of getting washed away), and the largest child was holding his hand. The river was about the width of two streets. 

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<li>From the border, the government took the family in yellow buses to San Antonio. 

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<li>A GPS tracking device was put on Hider’s ankle by the U.S. government. He’s the only one in their family to get one, since he’s head of household. (Although they joked that the government got it mixed up, since Carmen runs their family, haha.)

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<li>They spent 3 days in a shelter in San Antonio which was set up by a local church.

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<li>Then the church flew them to Chicago from San Antonio. It was always their intent to go to Chicago because they knew one person who was in a refuge in Chicago who was a contact for them; she’s the one who had sent them the money when they were stuck in Nueva Rosita, despite being in a shelter herself.

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<li>When they got to Chicago, they stayed in a small shelter in the airport. Some people had been there two months. They appreciated the free food there, but it was just packaged bread and apples, day after day.  

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<li>They went to the District 16 police station and spent four days there. They where then put on a bus and taken to a 60 day shelter in the Uptown neighborhood of Chicago

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<li>In the airport they only gave them bread and fruit. So they went to Mariano’s in Park Ridge to beg people for food and work, and they were given better food then. This is where they met Stacy, their angel on the side of road on Cumberland Ave.

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<li>They have until 24 of January to stay in the shelter.

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<div>My name is Stacy Kelly, I run the Midwest Region for StevenDouglas based out of Chicago. My day job is recruiting accounting and finance leaders for companies throughout our region. I personally vetted the story of this family and will be making sure that 100% of funds raised go directly to this important cause. My husband Shaun runs the Chicago office of Engberg Anderson and is an Architect, he will also be helping me. 

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<div>My family on both sides is forgoing giving each other presents this year (because we don’t actually need anything) and giving and ask you to consider doing the same. Any excess funds will be donated to the non-profit organization that helps this family, we are still trying to locate the best one. 

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<div>Here is my original social media post:

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<div>Are you looking to help a family in need this holiday season?

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<div>If someone in NEED grabbed your hand and asked for HELP to find a job, what would you do?

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<div>When this happened to me it stopped me in my tracks… because most of you know what I do for a living. I reside in Park Ridge and on November 18th my husband and I were driving to the mall to shop. We passed Mariano’s and saw families on the side of the road. Their signs said “Venezuela” and I had just listened to a pod cast (Curious City) about the crisis and how 21,000 Venezuelans had arrived in Chicago recently seeking asylum from their failing government. I burst into tears on that drive and my husband (always the calm one) offered to take me to an ATM to give some cash out. 

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<div>As I was handing out donations on the side of the road that is when I met Hider and Carmen. They had Google translate up and immediately asked if I COULD HELP THEM FIND A JOB.  They had four small children with them and where in need so I took their contact information and that’s where this journey began.

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<div>The short story is that Carmen’s brother was murdered by the police because he was in active opposition to the government.  They were forced into hiding and eventually fled which led them to OUR community. 

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<div>I have never harnessed my network this way but I’m ASKING you today for HELP. This family has no sponsor, the only people they know are other refugees. I’m looking to raise funds and an experienced sponsor and non-profit organization to help with their legal needs and resettlement process. I have lots of calls out and have hit a lot of dead ends and the system is broken. The case worker at their shelter has given them numbers and addresses but it’s really on this family to figure it out and it’s a challenge for me…

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<div>This family will be on the streets if WE don’t do something about it by January 24th. 

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<div>Please consider donating to this family. We will be helping them with the resettlement process and need money for rent, legal assistance and general resettlement needs.  

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<div>If you have any leads on an immigration attorney who has the capacity to help and/or affordable housing in the region (doesn’t have to be in Chicago) please reach out to me directly. 

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Kathleen L Hannigan

Theresa Renaldi

Anonymous

Rachel Foley

Patricia Lofthouse

Bridget Greuel

Amy Conrad

Donna Cecchini

Ilene Sulentic

Kathleen Fitzsimmons

Joseph Lakdawala

Craig Harrison

Suzanne Lazer

Ann Houlihan-Doyle

Venezuelan Refugee Resettlement Fund

Venezuelan Refugee Resettlement Fund

Still $21,070 to go. Help us build momentum.