Help Migrant Families in Urgent Need

Support migrant and refugee families in the U.S. with essential needs

Families that have fled violence and instability in their home countries now face instability and violence in the United States.

I am reaching out to ask for your support in creating and maintaining a fund to assist refugee and migrant families in the U.S. with essential needs. This fund will help families avoid financial upheaval when a wage earner has been detained, or provide support when a wage earner fears detention at their place of employment. In my experience, I have seen how transformative this kind of generosity can be, and how urgently more support is needed.

There is great need across the country for many types of support, but right now the most urgent needs are the most basic: Food, diapers and baby formula. Jackets, school backpacks and items for children with special needs. Bus tokens. Debit cards for groceries and toiletries. Phones to stay in touch with family and legal counsel. Help with medical and mental health appointments. Some requests are small but deeply human – birthday cakes, Christmas gifts, or simply a moment of psychosocial support for a frightened parent or child.

Through the Jesuit Refugee Service’s Migrant Accompaniment Network, trained volunteers accompany families to court and medical visits, help enroll children in school, connect families to housing and employment, and offer the irreplaceable gift of friendship. Every dollar given becomes practical help: a warm coat, a stocked pantry, a safe ride, or a bit of joy in the life of someone who has endured so much.

Whether you are Catholic, belong to another faith, or do not identify with any religion, we can all agree that migrant and displaced families deserve dignity, compassion, and a safe place to rebuild their lives.

I invite you to join me in supporting this immediate and deeply human work. Together, we can create a shared fellowship that helps migrant families feel what every person deserves to feel: You are welcome. You matter. You are not alone.

— Paul Tumminia, on behalf of the Jesuit Refugee Service/USA