VCCF基金、移民強制捜査の影響を受けた人々のために10万5000ドルを集める

この記事はSanta Paula Timesに掲載されたものです。

Since launching a collaborative effort with business, nonprofit and government groups just
over a week ago, the Ventura County Community Foundation has received more than $105,000 in donations and pledges to help those impacted by recent federal immigration actions across the county.

Information and a donation portal can be found at vccf.org/neighbors-support-fund.

‘This is the beginning of a long arc — not just a response, but a commitment, one built by neighbors who refuse to let any family feel unseen or unsupported. We can choose to lead with love and rise with purpose.’ — Mayor Pedro A. Chávez

The Ventura County Neighbors Support Fund, announced July 28, will focus on helping families with basic needs including food and shelter, according to the nonprofit’s statement, as well as with “supporting our community through the wider economic impact of this crisis.”
Helping in the launch are partners, including the county of Ventura, Ventura County Office of Education, Economic Development Collaborative, Ventura County P-20 Council, Weingart
Foundation, Ventura County Economic Development Association, Ventura County Credit Union, League of Women Voters of Ventura County, Museum of Ventura County, Isabella Project, Social Justice Fund for Ventura County, Montecito Bank & Trust, Premier America Credit Union, County Schools Federal Credit Union, McCune Foundation, and many others in the united, communitywide effort to support local families and small businesses experiencing sudden hardship and disruption.

The VCCF statement noted: “Across Ventura County, many families are navigating increasing challenges to daily life, including barriers to work, school attendance and access to basic needs. The Ventura County Neighbors Support Fund offers a coordinated and trusted way for residents to step up and support one another. Working with respected community-based organizations, the fund will deliver immediate and essential relief, including food, transportation, housing assistance and other urgent needs.”

The fund comes in the wake of dramatically increased activity by federal immigration agents this year and on the heels of the July 10 massive cannabis greenhouse raid that the U.S. Department of Homeland Security said resulted in the arrest of 361 purported undocumented immigrants, as well as four American citizens protesting at the facilities — one each in Camarillo and Carpinteria — and retaining 14 minors.

“Time and again, the Ventura County community has come together in the face of hardship,” said Vanessa Bechtel, president and CEO of VCCF. “Given the scope of the challenges at hand, we’re responding in a way that meets uncertainty with compassion and resolve. Our message is clear: No neighbor stands alone.”

One-hundred percent of every contribution to the Ventura County Neighbors Support Fund will directly support food, transportation and essential supplies for families in need; emergency shelter and rental assistance; critical services provided by schools, neighborhood centers, business and economic development centers and community-based organizations; and additional essential needs as they emerge.

“As the son of immigrants and now Ventura County’s Superintendent of Schools, I carry with me the stories, sacrifices and dreams of families who came here seeking a better life,” said
Dr. César Morales in the VCCF statement. “The Ventura County Neighbors Support Fund is a powerful reminder that we are not powerless. It allows us, as a community, to respond with compassion and practical support in a moment of real need. Together, we can ensure that every child feels safe, every family feels seen and that no one in Ventura County is left behind.”

“This is the beginning of a long arc — not just a response, but a commitment,” said Pedro Chavez, mayor of Santa Paula, “one built by neighbors who refuse to let any family feel unseen or unsupported. We can choose to lead with love and rise with purpose.”

The Ventura County Neighbors Support Fund is committed to “transparency and accountability. A special VCCF committee, comprised of respected community leaders, will guide the distribution of funds to ensure maximum impact,” noted the VCCF statement.

“From the beginning, this effort has been about more than raising money,” wrote Bechtel in an email. “It has always been about lifting one another up. Choosing care, courage, and compassion in uncertain times. Honoring the dignity of every individual. And, recognizing that generosity is the foundation of community resilience.”