I am a teacher and a neighbor to students on the Buford Highway corridor. We are a largely a working-class immigrant community of different ethnic backgrounds, so my students reflect these demographics.

My community--including my students and their families--are under attack in this current political moment. Many of these families are experiencing austerity in this economy and many are living in fear and uncertainty from racist anti-immigrant laws and immigration enforcement.

Most recently, I have two students whose families are experiencing difficult circumstances and who I am raising money for -- to protect their identities, I will refer to them only as Jesus and Karen.

-Jesus is a kind and joyful student. He is a talented artist who loves to draw. He has a curiosity for science and he has been learning English for the last few months so that he can fully participate in his schooling. Unfortunately, one of his siblings has already been detained and deported. Apart from grieving the deportation of one of her older children, Jesus' mother is anxious about the reality that she and her son, Jesus, will be next. Rather than live in fear of being separated and detained for months, mom and Jesus are planning to voluntarily return to Mexico with dignity and free will. We are raising money to help them buy flights back home and get settled back in their hometown.

-Karen is a student who always has curosities that need to be satiated. She asks very insightful questions and enjoys learning about mythology and ancient stories. She appreciates learning new things and is a gentle spirit. Her family is recovering from a fire that erupted in her apartment complex. They lost some belongings in the fire, and all of their possessions were contaminated by the smoke. This fire happened during a very stressful period in this students' education -- end of course testing, adding to the stress of an already overwhelmed student.

I am hoping to raise $8,000 so that each family can receive about $4,000 each to provide relief for their families'. As needs come up among my students and their families, I will use this GoFundMe to raise money for my kids. I will also report on how much money this fundraiser is receives and will post photo proof and other forms of evidence that the families are receiving the money.

Thank you for supporting my kids and community! B'antiox!

In Lak'ech