A Family Keep Lights On and Get Green Cards

erin fiorini is organizing this fundraiser.

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My name is Erin Fiorini, and I'm fundraising for Elena, a mom of four, to keep her kids safe and secure in their home.

Last January, one day after the U.S. presidential inauguration, Elena's husband, Julio, picked up their daughter from school in Fulton. Driving home, a car hit Julio's, and he called local law enforcement. Police officers arrived but didn’t investigate the accident. The other driver was released, but Julio and his daughter were forced to wait in their car for the U.S. Border Patrol. He was summarily deported in March.

Julio lived in Fulton for five years and in New York State for twelve. He and his wife own their home and were trying to provide a safe and normal life for their four kids.

His wife, Elena, is now left to raise their children, aged five to fifteen, on her own. She works at a local fast-food restaurant. Her high school-age daughter and son now work part-time. The family tends a large garden, including chickens and goats, to help sustain themselves.

Elena and her family have managed so far through hard work and the support of neighbors and friends. But it is not enough. Suddenly a single mom, she’s struggling to cover basic expenses—to pay electric bills, water bills, mortgage, and taxes. They also need to pay the lawyer fees she incurred while desperately trying to get Julio released from an ICE detention center. We want Elena and her family to keep their house so her children have a safe, secure, and familiar home after being separated from their dad.

Please join me in raising $12,000 to help Elena and her kids get back on their feet and cover immediate expenses: previous and ongoing legal fees for her and her kids to secure their U.S. green cards; school supplies and clothes for her children; taxes on the house for 2024 and 2025; monthly mortgage, and electrical bills.

Every little bit counts. Together, we can make a significant impact. Please consider donating and sharing this message so this family can create a better future for themselves and Fulton.