Susan

The Denver Post on September 7, 2022, reported that there are approximately one million people from around the world who have applied for asylum in the U.S. 

Their wait to get a hearing in an Immigrant Court is approximately seven years, during which time they are unable to work legally, and during which no federal support is designated to help them. (They can, however apply for permission to work 150 days after they file for asylum.)

The story in the Post states that the asylees are coming from 150 countries, “fleeing crime and economic despair.” It’s a national disgrace that our immigration courts are so overwhelmed that they cannot rule on desperate people’s requests for asylum and safety in the U.S. in a reasonable length of time.

What difference can a small nonprofit — operating without staff but only with a hard-working Board of Directors — make?

A lot!

Immigrant Pathways Colorado is a prime example. Founded in 2009, this community-supported nonprofit makes self-development grants to low-income, documented immigrants. It also makes scholarships available each year for immigrant students studying at Arapahoe Community College.

Since it began making these grants in 2012, IPC has given more than $98,600 to immigrants to help them build a better life for themselves and their families. And the ability to make these grants comes completely from the community!

IPC receives no state or federal funding, just donations from the community and grants from organizations such as FirstBank, Littleton Rotary Foundation, Spring International Language Center, the American Immigration Lawyers Association, and the Credit Union of Colorado Foundation.

You can help IPC make important self-development grants and scholarships by donating at www.ImmigrantPathways.org, by donating at any time of the year at www.ColoradoGives.org, or by making a direct deposit via Zelle.

According to Amnesty International, 12 million Syrians have fled their homes in fear. Half of them are children and more than five million of them have left the country and become refugees. Today, 99% of Syrians are held in just five countries:

Turkey – more than 3.6 million Syrian refugees

Lebanon – 949,000

Jordan – 672,000

Iraq – 253,000

Egypt – 133,000

The refugee resettlement process is lengthy, extremely detailed and very safe. Only those Syrian refugees registered by the United Nations High Commission for Refugees and identified as being particularly at risk are considered for U.S. resettlement. Syrians go through more security screenings than other refugees before allowed to travel to the U.S.

Amnesty International says there are approximately 225 million refugees – people fleeing their homes because of war, armed conflict, violence, etc. – across the globe.

Hello again, friends,

I just wanted to bring you up to date on some amazing and wonderful statistics.

LI3 works closely with the Littleton Immigrant Resource Center at Bemis Public Library.  The LIRC trains community members to be mentors to immigrants seeking to learn English and to become citizens.  Community volunteers are matched one-on-one with immigrants, and the pairs study together at times and location (usually the library) convenient to both.

The pairs report the development of close friendships and two-way cultural understandings.  Many of the mentors enjoy the experience so much that they volunteer over and over again!

I’m proud to announce that since the mentoring programs began, more than 450 immigrants have been assisted by 220 community volunteers.

If you’re interested in becoming a mentor, please contact the LIRC at 303.795.3968 or email libah@littletongov.org

Susan Thornton

Chair, LI3

 

Friends,

Welcome to the Littleton Immigrant Integration Initiative.

This new nonprofit is designed to support programs in our community that encourage learning English, becoming citizens and participating fully in the life of the community.

We also provide limited support to individual documented immigrants and refugees seeking a better life for their families.  For example, we provided one refugee from Iraq with assistance to buy tools so that he could increase his family’s income in his work as a mechanic.  Other examples:  we may provide partial tuition for English classes, books and materials for classes, GED preparation and testing, and assistance with citizenship application and processing fees.

We depend on the generosity of community members as we seek to make Littleton a community where people from around the world feel “at home.”  We welcome your ideas, your caring and your financial support.  We hope you will join us on this journey to a just and equitable future for all.

Susan Thornton

Chair, LI3