Dear Friend,
Young Zheng Sullivan, after whom the Young Center is named, was only 14 years old when his father sent him to the United States alone. Born a second child in the Fujian Province of China, where the government heavily taxes families with more than one child, Young's family struggled to make ends meet and sent him away to earn money for the family. Young's family paid a group of human traffickers, the “Snakeheads,” to smuggle him to the United States. Unbeknownst to Young, they only paid the Snakeheads a few thousand dollars. He was expected to work around the clock to pay off the remainder of the smuggling fee—$65,000.
We met Young after he had been apprehended by immigration officials while entering the country. Though his deportation to China—where the Snakeheads threatened his and his family’s life—seemed inevitable, Child Advocate (and Young Center Founder) Maria Woltjen fought to keep him safe and protected from deportation.
Click here to watch a moving, 7-minute animated film about Young's journey.
Since our founding in 2004, the Young Center has served thousands of children, always honoring each child's unique strengths and needs and recognizing their agency. Our work is made possible by generous supporters like you.
Make a donation in honor of Young Zheng today and help us reach our #GivingTuesday goal of raising $100,000 for our work for children's rights. Only today, every dollar donated to the Young Center is matched by a generous donor—up to $15,000! Double your impact now.
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Thank you,
Gladis Molina Alt
Executive Director
P.S. You have already helped us raise $9,300 for #GivingTuesday! Thank you! Forward this email to a friend and encourage them to join the fight for children facing deportation.
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