Friend –

People like you have always made life-changing work possible for Oxfam, including our response to COVID-19. We've all felt its devastating effects worldwide, including here in the US, where your support enabled us to make grants to organizations in communities disproportionately affected by the coronavirus.

Communities such as San Diego, where Oxfam partnered with the San Diego Immigrant Rights Consortium (SDIRC) to provide seed funding that led to the launch of their COVID-19 Immigrant Relief Fund. So far, the fund has raised more than $900,000 – resulting in 1,700 cash grants for immigrant families in the area who have lost part or all of their income during the pandemic.

"With the support of Oxfam," said Lilian Serrano, chair of the SDIRC, "we were able to get the fund started to provide financial assistance to folks who would otherwise not be eligible."

Friend – Your support as a member of the Oxfam community allows us to work alongside local organizations as they assist their communities during disasters like the pandemic. We're also continuing our efforts to fight against poverty and injustice around the world.

Read more about Oxfam's partnership with the San Diego Immigrant Rights Consortium.

For immigrants, who have been hit especially hard by the pandemic and related job losses, the assistance has been lifesaving. Since the beginning of the pandemic, many workers in San Diego County have had their hours reduced, are temporarily not working, or have lost their jobs altogether.

The COVID-19 Immigrant Relief Fund has helped fill the gap. Recipients have used the money to buy groceries, pay rent, make car payments, and generally get by during this difficult time. Providing people with cash in an emergency – with no conditions attached – gives people the flexibility to deal with their unique challenges, while putting money back into the local economy.

"It's not just financial support to be able to go grocery shopping," says Serrano of the grants. "It is a message that someone cares, it's an acknowledgement for their work, and a friendly hand reaching out to them, seeing them as part of the communities."

Friend, thanks to dedicated supporters like you, Oxfam is partnering with local organizations to provide direct relief to families who have been affected by emergencies like COVID-19. You make it possible for us to continue equipping communities with the resources they need to defeat poverty.

Want to contribute to the kind of work that tackles the root causes of poverty and injustice – and changes lives around the world? Our work is only possible because of the support of people like you. Make a donation today.