¡Sí, se puede!
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#SpreadTheWarmth
This month, until November 8th, Migrant Legal Aid will be collecting Winter gear to help #SpreadTheWarmth as part of The Heart of West Michigan United Way's collection drive.

Stop by our office to drop of your new Winter gear items (coats may be gently used) if you want to help spread the warmth too! Visit United Way's Shopping Wish List on Amazon to find items to donate.

For more information about #SpreadTheWarmth and United Way, visit their website.
Successful Harvest of Justice Event
On September 26th, we hosted our annual Harvest of Justice Fundraising Luncheon. Thanks to the support from our guests, table hosts, and sponsors, we enjoyed a great lunch while getting to share our mission. Visit our social media pages on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter to see photos from the event.

Next year's Harvest of Justice event will be held on September 23 at the Prince Conference Center. Follow our website and social media pages for more information. We hope to see you there!
Educating the Local Community
On October 2nd, our Executive Director, Teresa Hendricks, visited Alpine Elementary School. As part of our Defending Against Hate program, she spoke to 100 of the school's parents about our organization's services and what to do if they encounter ICE.

For over 45 years, Migrant Legal Aid has built trust with migrant workers through outreach and counsel. Now more than ever, workers tell us about their fears – of physical violence, of their children’s safety, of losing their rights, and of ICE. Defending Against Hate is the first program of its kind, connecting law enforcement, school systems, and migrants to facilitate communication and understanding.

Our goal is to protect migrant workers and to reduce acts and words of hate directed at documented and undocumented immigrants.

Visit our website for more information on this program.
Have You Been Counted?
We are partnering with United Way to educate people about the 2020 census. Migrant Legal Aid wants to make sure that all migrant farm workers are counted, so we are doing special outreach trips to hand out information about what the census is, how to complete it, and what it will ask.

A common fear for many people is whether the 2020 census will ask about immigration status. We are trying to make sure migrant farm workers know that the census will not be asking the "citizenship question". It is important that everyone, including migrant farm workers, are counted. When we have more accurate census results and a better idea of how many people are living in Grand Rapids and in Michigan, that allows us to get the resources we need for our residents.

Visit the following websites for more information on the 2020 census:

Day of Caring
On September 13th, we had volunteers from G&T Industries participate in United Way's Day of Caring 2019.

These volunteers braved the rainy weather to help us do some landscaping around our office. They also learned about our organization.

We appreciate their hard work and commitment to helping the community by volunteering at our office.
Helping "Dreamers" Achieve Their Dreams
TheDream.US is an organization providing scholarships to DACA students who, otherwise, would not be able to afford college.

For many Americans, attending a college or university is difficult because of the cost. For DACA students, it is even harder because they are unable to apply for scholarships or FAFSA (financial aid) due to their immigration status. However, this scholarship program is trying to bridge that gap.

Read the full story to learn more.