Nicoll & Esperanza: need a home

Hi. My name is Bob Gillesby, father of Jessica Gillesby, a bilingual elementary school teacher at DPS Bryant Webster Dual Language school in Denver. Jessie was recently assigned Nicoll, a new student to her class. Nicoll (7) and her cousin Esperanza (3) are newly arrived immigrants from Venezuela. They were living in tents on the street in Denver for several weeks before Vives, a local charity, paid for one month's rent in an apartment, but with so many people to help, they can pay no more.

The Immediate Problem

Now, by the 1st of December, they must pay the second month's rent or face eviction. They have only two hundred dollars for food and our cold winter is fast approaching. Esperanza's family also needs financial support. My wife Maria and I are starting this fundraiser because it breaks our hearts to think of these girls and their families back on the street in tents.

The parents never imagined that they would leave Venezuela. They love their country and never wanted to leave but with the collapse of the economy there were no jobs, no food, no medicines and no medical care. For years. The fathers working construction made no more than a few dollars a month. They were starving.

So they walked North. They walked for sixty days without knowing where they would sleep or if they could find a meal. Their "guide" deserted them when they entered Panama and the two families crossed the impossibly dangerous Darien Gap caked in mud. The densest jungle in Central America. They saw a family drown.

Since these families came to Bryant Webster, the teachers have become their support group, rallying the community for food, clothing and old furniture. But we all know that teachers are not rich. And they are tired, really tired and stressed. They need your help to continue this work in addition to their crushing educational responsibilities.

The Long Term Issue

Nicoll's father Carlos does construction work and his brother is a heavy equipment operator. They are both anxious to work but have not been approved for work permits. It's unclear how long they must wait or where they will find work. I have spent time with them. They are of good character and deeply committed to their families. They have been assigned an Immigration Court date in 2027 !!

Please consider any donation you can to help this family. Maria and I will initiate the fundraiser with a gift of $500. You can make a difference. Lift your lamp beside the golden door.

Any funds collected in excess of these families' needs will be given to other immigrant families.