IN SOLIDARITY

Early Sunday morning in Brownsville, Texas, a group of immigrants were struck by a speeding automobile while waiting at a bus stop outside the Ozanam Center shelter, leaving at least eight dead and at least ten severely injured.

Our hearts are heavy as we mourn. The Ozanam Center serves refugees, immigrants, and individuals experiencing homelessness, including some of the youth we have worked with. Young Center staff, volunteers, and supporters know the Ozanam Center well and are devastated by this attack. For now, we ask that you support the center, 

WITH GRATITUDE

Over the past several months, Young Center colleagues came together to better define what we strive for as a collective, and perhaps more importantly, understand how we practice our core values across every facet of our work.

Living our values means first recognizing that we are all a part of a global community and the injustices that disproportionately harm one group harm us all. Together, our team defined our core values as: child-centered, courage, accompaniment, community, equity and justice. You can read more about them here. Over the next several weeks, the Young Center will share on our blog, social media, and through other channels, how we live our values in every facet of our work, including our fundraising practices. Stay tuned!

We are so honored and excited to have been able to attend the Mutual of America Financial Group’s award dinner in New York City in April to celebrate the exemplary work of our Child Advocate Program as well as the unwavering support of our local Chicago partners, the Bethany House of Hospitality and the Viator House of Hospitality. Through our collaboration we hope to give youth and children a chance to feel safe, while boldly challenging social injustices and providing immigrant youth a welcoming place to call home and dream about their future, free from harm.

POLICY CORNER

As the Title 42 draws to a close on May 11, we're keeping an eye on the Biden administration's plans at the Southern border, and what they mean for children and families fleeing from violence. 

Most recently, the administration announced long-overdue plans to expand refugee resettlement numbers from Latin America and the Caribbean and increase family reunification parole pathways for people from El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Colombia. However, these measures come with disturbing drawbacks.  While unaccompanied children will be exempt from the worst of these restrictions, children and families will still bear the brunt of these policies. We can and must do better.

IN THE MEDIA

Check out our Young Center Executive Director Alt’s deeply personal and compelling appearance on Latina to Latina's podcast, where Gladis reflects on her childhood experience fleeing El Salvador's civil war, the unique challenges children face in deportation proceedings, and why she believes significant policy change must be coupled with direct service.

JOIN THE TEAM 

We are excited to announce that our National Volunteer Child Advocate Training will be held on June 24 and 25th. We're looking for people who are ready and willing to join the fight for immigrant children's rights across our eight locations, as well as Washington state, Oregon, Florida, Georgia, Michigan, Indiana, and Pennsylvania. Click here to learn more. 

We also have several positions open. Interested in joining a dedicated and passionate team, committed to advocating for immigrant children's rights? Click the button to browse our careers page.