Hello, my name is Marielena and I am an employee at Casa Freehold, a nonprofit organization in Freehold, New Jersey. I am organizing this GoFundMe on behalf of Anna, 16. Here's her story:

On July 9th, both Anna's mother and father were taken by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in the parking lot of their job site in Manasquan, New Jersey. Anna, who was at home at the time, received a call from her uncle letting her know both her parents had been abducted by ICE. Immediately, she alerted her neighbor who gave her the number of Casa Freehold. After that, she sat in the house her parents provided for her, alone. Well, with the company of her dog, Keira.

Anna is a Mexican-American, 16 year old sophomore in the Freehold area. She is the only daughter of Olivia and Domingo, two Mexican immigrants who risked their lives coming to America so their daughter could have a chance at "The American Dream." Both work in construction as domestic workers. They are not criminals. Both love this country. But the love was never returned. Now that both of her parents are detained, Anna is living off the kindness of community members and neighbors, who make sure her and Keira, her dog, have food to eat and a place to sleep. Anna also needs to attend biweekly physical therapy, as she is recovering from being hit by a car at the beginning of the year. Anna is facing an uphill battle that no teenager should ever have to fight, especially not by herself.

For many Latinos in the United States, this is a story far too familiar. Everyday, we hear of people being abducted off the streets, separated from their families, being put in prison camps, and being murdered while asking for help. It's important to remember that these stories aren't just headlines -- they are real people's lived experiences. Anna doesn't get to turn off the news. She's living it.

This is where you come in. We are fundraising for Anna with a goal of $20,000 to pay for her parent's legal fees, pay for rent and other household costs, pay for food, pay for gas to get her to and from appointments, and other costs that will add up during this process. All money goes directly to Anna. The majority of funds will go towards paying for her parent's lawyers. The cost for her father's lawyer alone is estimated to be around $12k. Anything you can contribute, big or small, will help in the long run.

Although it's only been a week since her parents were abducted, Anna has grown up more this week than she should ever have to. As we work alongside lawyers and the Mexican consulate, it is imperative that we come together as a community to help and support Anna -- to make her feel less alone. What happened to Ana is becoming more common and could happen to any of us. We are stronger together.

Matthew 22:39 "Love thy neighbor as yourself."