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Mutual Aid for Polk County Families Impacted by Immigration Enforcement
Please join us in supporting local Polk County families who have been impacted by the current immigration system. All funds will be distributed directly to families for groceries, rent, and other basic needs.
Who we’re supporting:
Families in Willow Oak, Mulberry & wider Polk County area who have been left behind by immigration enforcement actions. For security reasons, we cannot share identifying information.
Non-specific examples:
- Children in the care of guardians due to detainment/deportation of their parents.
- Guardians/caregivers of those children.
Who we are:
Legal observers and rapid responders of Polk County, Florida. Though we are trained and vetted for the volunteer work we do, we are not fundraising on behalf of any official organization.
Why we’re fundraising:
In the course of legal observing and rapid response, we often meet the families of detained individuals. There is no formal support system for people left behind by immigration enforcement, leaving families struggling to pick up the pieces - and often dealing with the simultaneous loss of a primary breadwinner.
Our strategy:
Provide enough support to “fill the gap” - allowing families to meet basic needs and remain in the most stable situation possible so they can focus on their loved ones’ immigration cases.
How we distribute funds:
We have established liaisons who live locally and are connected within the community. Liaisons meet with the affected families to get an understanding of their situation and immediate needs. Liaisons coordinate with our group to gain consensus on the distribution, then we distribute directly to the family in the form of cash and/or gift cards. If the family is in a situation where they cannot go get groceries/supplies themselves, we work within the group to do this on their behalf & deliver.
Note:
We are regular folks learning as we go. Please be patient as we learn the landscape of needs in our community and fine-tune our processes. We anticipate there will be change & adaptation as we gain a better understanding of how we can best support our neighbors in need. Stay tuned & engaged… and THANK YOU!