Calendar

Volunteers - check your calendar and email for info on a dinner at Heather's on Sunday, April 22, 2012.

Updates for Apirl 14th, 2012

"Esperanza has secured a job at Tyson (thanks to Marlys Hughes, who took her to Tyson for her interview to her physical exam).  The problem is that they were only offering the third shift, so she has to be there from 3:30 p.m. to 12:30 a.m.  Jimy works the first shift, so we are looking for a Car and ride temporarily in case she doesn't find someone over the weekend.  She has to be there this coming Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday for orientation and will begin work on Friday.  Do any of you know someone who could help her out? 

    Other than that things are going well.  

Jimy has a raise, Alexis got his 9-month vaccines at Peoples Clinic. the April rent got paid (thanks to the fund-raising efforts of Carl and Tom), both ladies are working on their English and received crochet and knitting needles as well as yarn from Donna Davis.  Marlys continues to take Marlena to the Food Bank every month.

    Thanks to all the volunteers!"                

Clara Hudson

New times for English classes!

English classes are changing to Monday and Thursday at 2:30 with an occasional Friday morning if we need it.  Marlena has trouble juggling baby feeding and care in the mornings; if we go to afternoon, Jimy will be home to entertain Alexis while we work. 

 

Marlys will continue to take care of trips to the Food Bank - she will take Marlena April 2.

Thank you all!

Clara 

P.S. Remember to let me or Kathy know about events so we can put them on the calendar.

March Updates!

Alexis is now "sitting pretty" in his new high chair (thanks to Neal)         

Marlena and Esperanza are progressing well with their English skills.  

Marlys and Clara are are still working with them on Tuesday and Thursday mornings.       

Marlys is taking Marlena to the Food Bank - the next date is April 2.     

Clara accompanied Esperanza and Ruby to conferences at Hoover Middle School.  

Ruby is doing a great job at school and earning high marks.  She also accompanied Jimy and Armando to West High and got the same good news about Armando's marks.  He recently prepared and delivered a presentation on the state of Wisconsin.     

Holly Hudson has joined our volunteer group.  She works for the Courier and writes a weekly column.  She is investigating cultivating a community plot and sharing with the Gomez family.  The landlord has given permission to plant a small garden at the house which will be easier to tend if Esperanza is working.     

Kelly Hudson is donating a bicycle for Armando, and I might have a source for a girls bike for Ruby.  =)     

Kathy is being kind enough to help me get some skills on the computer and, of course, taking care of the website and the calendar.     

Jimy is getting a drivers license, and Emily has done a great job with the health insurance. so the family can rest easy on that issue.    

 I know I haven't mentioned everyone and everything, but I will be adding more soon. 

Clara

Welcome to our new coordinator

I have recently taken over the position of volunteer coordinator for the Gomez family.  I am also a retired teacher and am working with members of the family to facilitate their English learning and translating when necessary. I am amazed by the wonderful work everyone has done and continues to do.  Thanks to Heather Flory who was the original coordinator; her leadership is much appreciated. Clara Hudson     (littlehud@cfu.net).

In the last few weeks...

1/17/12 - The family received a donated washing machine! Thank you Trish for the donation, and Roger and Cindy for transport and installation!

1/23/12 - Jimy started work at his new job at Tyson's!

1/24/12 - Green Iowa Americorps weatherized the family home - find out more about this excellent organization by clicking here (also at links above):
http://www.greeniowaamericorps.org/

1/24/12 - abUSed screening at UUSBHC (see post below)

2/1/12 - Meeting at UUSBHC regarding the family and continued needs... more help has arrived! Thank you to Tom, Emily, Arleen, Carl, and Clara for stepping up with additional help. Our next meeting is 2/8/12 at 6:30pm for those interested in joining us. See UUSBHC link above for address of meeeting location.

abUSed screening: 1/24/12 - Thank you Luis Argueta!

Dinner and Homework in January

Courier Article and more!

So much has happened this week! I'll post more later, but here are a few highlights:

1) The event on Tuesday (1/24) went great! We raised a little money for the family, but most importantly we have several more people interested in helping the family, mostly from the Mennonite church

2) The Waterloo Courier wrote an article about Jimy and family in yesterday's (1/26/12) newspaper. It's also available online here:

http://wcfcourier.com/news/local/group-seeks-support-for-former-agriprocessors-worker-family/article_4a9e579c-5f11-541c-98a5-fd8355170309.html

3) If you are interested in helping the family, please join us this Wednesday, Feb 1, at 6:30pm at the Unitarian Universalist Society at 3912 Cedar Heights Drive in Cedar Falls.

Movie Screening

abUSed: The Postville Raid

Tuesday, January 24, 7-9pm

3912 Cedar Heights Drive,

Cedar Falls, IA 50613

 

The event

Critically acclaimed director Luis Argueta will host a screening of his immigration film abUSed: The Postville Raid on Tuesday, January 24, at 7pm. Refreshments will be served. Free will donations will benefit the Jimy Gomez family (see below).

The film: www.abusedthepostvilleraid.com

abUSed: The Postville Raid presents the human face of immigration, the socioeconomic forces which fuel it, and serves as a cautionary tale against government abuses. The film weaves together the personal stories of those directly affected by the most brutal, most expensive, and largest Immigration Customs Enforcement (ICE) raid in the history of the U.S.

Jimy Gomez and family: http://jimyandfamily.blogspot.com (this blog!)

One of the families affected by the Postville raid, the Gomez family arrived in the U.S. in December on a “u-visa”, and will be at the event to answer questions.   

The host organization: www.uusbhc.org

As part of the national Unitarian Universalist Association “Standing on the Side of Love” campaign, the Unitarian Universalist Society of Black Hawk County has helped the Gomez family settle into their new home in Waterloo, IA. The UUSBHC now invites other local churches, organizations, and individuals to help with the family’s ongoing needs.                      

Questions about the event? E-mail heather.flory@yahoo.com

A Dinner Table Makes it Home

Tonight after taking the Gomez family grocery shopping (courtesy of the NE IA Peace & Justice Center - see link above), I had the pleasure of joining them for dinner around their "new" dining room table. Before today, they were using a card table which I had loaned them temporarily, and which only seated four people at a time. Today, thanks to Mary Kay (from UUSBHC - see link above), the family now has a table that can seat 10 people... the family of currently 6 people, plus a few guests! 

Now, I apologize to anyone who has given items and hasn't received personal acknowledgement - there has been so much support that there's no way I can keep track of it all (Donna, Roger, and Cindy, to name a few), and the family is so incredibly appreciative of everything that they're received. Their house is almost completely furnished (we could still use a couple more beds and dressers). However, I hope you'll all understand that this table is special.

With the addition of a table at which the entire family can sit together and have a meal, the Gomez house transformed into a home. Rubi (13) sat on one end of the table, showing English alphabet flash cards to Marlene (18), who sat at the other end of the table with Alexis (7 months). Marlene can't go to school during the day like Rubi does, but she gets to learn some English in the evenings by helping with homework. Jimy (18) and Armando (17) sat next to me. Esperanza (mom) worked busily to prepare plates and bring them out to us. It was a welcoming, homey feeling.

Thank you all for your help in making the Gomez family feel at home. This new space is, for them, only the beginning of an exciting and wonderful adventure. In spite of being separated from dad and younger brother, who are still in Guatemala, they are happy, gracious, and grateful - a warm addition to any home, especially their own.

Moving Day was a Success!

The Gomez family moved into their new home on Monday, January 2 as scheduled.
Huge thanks to Roger and Cindy (not shown) for their help and their van, to Erin for her help and her sandwiches, and to all of the people who donated furniture, clothes, other items for the home, and money. Although the family has moved, they are still in need of lots of help, including money for FOOD and rides around town. Because of their u-visa status, they are not eligible for food stamps! Also, an enormous THANK YOU to the NE IA Peace & Justice Center in Decorah (see link above) for paying the first month's rent and deposit on the house.

If you would like to meet the family and help them out, please see our wish list (link above) and e-mail me at heather.flory@yahoo.com 

Rubi cleans up to make
room for more stuff.

Heather and Erin
lend a hand moving

Armando opens a new
bed-in-a-box.

Jimy, Armando and Esperanza
put their new couch in place

Jimy, Marlene & Alexis's
room starts to take shape.

Sooooo many bags of clothes to sort through.
Thank you all for your donations!

Moving Day: January 2nd!

Housing has been found for Jimy and family in Waterloo, and the big moving day will be January 2nd! We will need help doing a final cleaning of the house, as well as moving a couch, bedding, chairs, and a few other donated items. If you would like to donate furniture and/ or cleaning supplies, (i.e. a vaccuum cleaner) and have not yet notified us, please do so ASAP so that we can plan to move it on that day if possible. To donate items, food, money, and/or to help the family move, please contact me at heather.flory@yahoo.com

Thank you again to all who have already donated money, clothing, and other items. The Gomez family is very appreciative and grateful for everything they have received!

Family Members Reunited!

On Thursday, Jimy's wife (Marlene, 18) and their 7-month old son (Alexis) arrived from Guatemala along with the family members other u-visa recipients. Jimy and the husband of one of the other new arrivals met their family members at the Chicago airport at 2am, thanks to Michael Blevins, director of the NE Iowa Peace & Justice Center in Decorah, who drove through the night to allow this reunion to happen. All made it home safely and were happy to be reunited with their families. See below for a picture of Jimy, Marlene, and Alexis.

More happy news today is that we have now found a house for Jimy and his family! The six of them (the three shown above, plus Jimy's mom, sister, and one brother; his dad and youngest brother are still in Guatemala... for now) will move into their new home in Waterloo on January 2. This site will be updated over the next few days with more information about what kind of help may be needed in the move, and to help the family get settled into their new home. Also stay tuned for future posts from Jimy and his family.

Jimy and family are very grateful for the help they have received so far, and anticipate a very happy holiday week! Thank you all and we hope you have a blessed and happy holiday season as well!!!

Welcome Party at the UUSBHC: Fun in Two Languages!

On Friday, 12/16/11, twenty-five people participated in the potluck dinner at the Unitarian Universalist Society of Blackhawk County to welcome Jimy and his family members who arrived with him from Guatemala (his mother, sister, and one brother). Jimy's uncle, aunt, and cousin who already lived in Waterloo also joined the party, along with several Unitarian Universalists (UUs), local guests, and Luis Argueta, a film director who is making a documentary about Jimy's family and four others who are either in the country on a u-visa, or soon on their way. Highlights of the party included introductions in English and Spanish, in which the most common phrase was "no hablo espanol muy bien", and in which the 17 year-old Guatemalan who was brave enough to introduce himself in English was greeted with a roaring applause; a UU blessing in English and Spanish; attempts at conversation in both languages; and some really great food. My personal favorite moment of the evening was when two of the children from the UU congregation (ages 10 and 8) asked me to invite the two youngest Guatemalan visitors (13 and 10) to play a game, and then watching the four children playing together without regard to language or cultural barriers for the rest of the evening. With all of the socializing, we ran out of time for playing music... so, another party may be in order once remaining family members arrive!

The family has been staying with Jimy's uncle and aunt this week, who have helped Jimy get settled in to their temporary home, sort through  donations of clothing, blankets, and more (thank you to all who contributed!), get Jimy signed up for his Social Security card, get kids registered for school, get vaccinations, and more.

We are still looking for housing for Jimy and family in Waterloo, and hope that they will be able to move in to their own place at the beginning of January. Funds from the NE Iowa Peace & Justice Center in Decorah will cover rent for a few months until the adult family members can begin work. If you know of any available housing, please email heather.flory@yahoo.com. 

Please see the wish list (link above) for additional items and other types of help still needed by the family, and stay tuned to this blog for more information as it becomes available.  

Welcome Jimy and Family!

Greetings, all!

Jimy and three of his family members will be arriving from Guatemala on Thursday. Let's give them a big UU welcome! If you are available, please bring the entire family to the UUSBHC on Friday and  join us for dinner and music.    5:30 setup and socializing 6pm potluck dinner  7pm music and dancing Black beans, rice and some chicken will be provided. Please bring a dish to share. If desired, you may also bring any of the following items to donate: a container to give your leftovers to the family, clothing (women's med/ men's med & large), bedding, school supplies, toiletries, cash / checks payable to UUSBHC (with u-visa in the subject line). Please email heather.flory@yahoo.com if you can help clean up. If you are musical, please bring your instrument(s)!

Thank you all, and I hope to see you on Friday!

Heather Flory

Are you looking for a way to make a difference?

by naden

Five Guatemalan families, caught up in the 2008 Agriprocessor’s Raid on Postville have become eligible for the U.S. Department of Immigration's U-Visa program. The five young men who are returning in December were employed at the Postville meat packing plant in violation of U.S. Child Labor Laws. Children as young as 14 were employed at the plant. A U-Visa allows those abused by illegal labor practices to be granted the right to temporary immigration status for 3 years and to bring immediate family members with them. After 3 years, the family will be eligible to apply for a permanent work visa and eventually for citizenship.

One of these five young men, Jimy, is moving to Waterloo this month with his family.

The N.E. Iowa Peace and Justice Center, in collaboration with the Decorah Area Faith Coalition, invites you to join us in helping Jimy’s family and other families get a fresh start in their new life here. This appeal is an opportunity to help put right some of the injustices many victims of the Postville raid have suffered.

Please consider three means of giving:

• Money is needed to provide housing, clothing, food and transportation. We also hope to provide reimbursement for Sonia Parras, an immigration lawyer from Des Moines, who has donated countless hours to the tasks of applying for the U-Visas and working with both the U.S. and Guatemalan governments. Donations are tax deductible. Please consider a generous donation! Checks may be made out to: The U-Visa Fund @ N.E. Iowa Peace and Justice Center, 119 Winnebago St. Decorah, IA 52101, 563-382-5337
• Clothes, furniture, and vehicles are needed. Now is the time to clean out your closet and give your extra “stuff” to someone who can use it!
• Translators, advocates, and people willing to transport family members are needed.
• Sponsorships by churches and other organizations are needed. The families will need help integrating into and navigating our communities and culture. Personal contact and friendships are the most precious gifts we have to give!