undocumented families need help too
Written on 3:50 PM by gracefully discovering:
Hurricane Ike destroyed the property of many folks in The Houston/Galveston area. About 1/3 of the city STILL does not have power 12 days after the storm...and some people do not have running water. Many of the POD locations have closed and FEMA is not as helpful as some would imagined they would be...even after having 3 years to get it together from Hurricane Katrina.
But my issue today is that there isn't any agency (to my knowledge) that is offering assistance to undocumented families. Now i'm not talking about a bag of ice and water....but more pressing things like financial assistance for their lost or damaged property or shelter/hotel vouchers, etc. I work at a school that has a Hispanic population of about 98%...and we have a few families that are undocumented. I have been wrecking my brain and using my very best social work skills to search high and low for some assistance for our kiddos....and it's not the kids that are undocumented...it's their parents. My heart really goes out to these families who cannot apply for FEMA and get the resources that they are offering. Many people have their own opinions about what should and shouldn't be allowed or "given" to undocumented people. But in a time of crisis...when people are in need and their children are going without, that really shouldn't matter.
I hope that by the end of the week, my hope is restored and I will find an agency that will supply financial assistance to these families who have lost so much due to this natural disaster. Many of them are hourly workers, and if places have been closed for 12 days because of no electricity or due to damage...then they haven't been able to work. And unless they are balling or are great savers....then that missed worked time is going to hurt them...Hell, it would hurt me if I were an hourly worker!
I'm kinda frustrated today because we have several families that need help...and it's kinda my job to help them get those resources...and i'm not having a whole lot of luck.
But my School Director GET'S IT! Tomorrow, I am going to Sam's club to buy food for our families that are running low and hopefully add a smidget of joy to their lives.
I am really happy that we didn't have as many kiddos affected my this storm as I had imagined. Monday night I could hardly sleep thinking about the issues that I would face when the kids came back Tuesday. But God is good, as I always say! Our students are back at school and ready to learn IN SPITE OF!
I really do love my job...even when the job feels impossible! Just gotta keep on keeping on..like my grandma Mrs. Minnie (rest her soul) used to say!
If you enjoyed this post Subscribe to our feed
I'm certain that God will hear your cry for help. If only you could cut and paste this post in the local news paper and possible get donations from people who aren't aware! My prayers are with you and what you are witnessings. Let me know if you set up some type of fund raiser........