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Sanctuary for Immigrants in Westchester

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In October of 2018 South Presbyterian Church in Dobbs Ferry became the first sanctuary-church in Westchester County - where 61,000+ people are living under the threat of deportation. When deportation and the corresponding traumatic separation of parents from children became imminent for one local family and they bravely decided to take a stand - we felt convicted and called to stand with them. Our hearts were ready - even though our building was decidedly not. So we opened our doors and vowed to work out the details at a later date. That later date has come!

That particular family has been able to return to their home, but our partners at local immigrant-led organizations including Hudson Valley Community Coalition and the NYC New Sanctuary Coalition, have assured us that there are many other families in urgent and desperate need of sanctuary - and too few worshipping communities able and/or willing to offer it. 

Every penny raised here will go directly towards building a permanent 1 bedroom apartment w/ private bathroom inside our church building. This renovation will allow immigrant families to seek refuge here and remain together while they fight their cases. It will allow us, as a church, to live more deeply into this calling God has placed on our hearts to stand with our immigrant siblings and all those closest to the hurt and to follow their leadership. It will hopefully become a model and inspiration for other worshipping communities in our county - and the beginning of a movement here! 

We have amazing immigrant leaders in our community blazing the trail forward to a kinder and more just future. We have the will and the imagination to stand with them - in this small way, and in every way we can. We just need money to get this first project off the ground. We are hoping to raise the funds by the end of June so that the work can be completed over the summer.

Friends, we are living in frightening times - and in a very real sense there are lives at stake; but there ARE things we can do. This is something we can do. Please do it with us.

Immigrant family facing deportation finds sanctuary inside Dobbs Ferry church

Donations 

  • Anonymous
    • $50 
    • 4 yrs

Fundraising team: South Church (2)

Drew Paton
Organizer
Raised $2,225 from 15 donations
Dobbs Ferry, NY
Kay O'Keeffe
Team member
Raised $1,986 from 36 donations
This team raised $7,204 from 96 other donations.

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