As a 100% volunteer-run organization, the Santa Cruz Welcoming Network relies on community members who contribute their energy, skills, and care. From housing setup to legal services, food delivery to emotional support, volunteers step up as they can. "There are many 'small' roles that make a big impact," says Roop Ghangas, who recently helped organize a Pro Bono Asylum Clinic with the Santa Cruz Removal Defense Collaborative. The WN's flexibility allows her to volunteer evenings and weekends while managing a full-time job and caring for her young son.

In the face of inhumane policies and arrests that are creating wide-spread fear and uncertainty for US immigrant communities, the Welcoming Network remains steadfast in our mission to support asylum seekers and refugees in Santa Cruz County. As threats to all immigrants have grown, we have expanded our collaborations to meet the urgent need for advocacy, protection, and solidarity. Read on to learn more about our efforts to stand strong and grow solidarity in these times of injustice.

Many of us are feeling devastated over the recent election, the dangerous falsehoods about immigrants, the dehumanization, and plans to use the U.S. military for mass deportations. But we are turning to the words of Flo Kennedy, a Black feminist activist in the late 20th century, who reminds us “don’t agonize, organize!” While we process our grief, her call to action inspires us to move our anguish into collective efforts to uphold the dignity and humanity of all people.