home exile community sanctuary

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1 home exile community sanctuary Executive Council Book Club - print resources At Home in Exile - Dr Russell Jeung March 21, :30 to 20:00 St. James Episcopal Church, Oakland th Avenue, Oakland, California

2 Sanctuary Diocese? By Sarah Lawton Broadly speaking, the diocese and its congregation would offer sanctuary by actively showing hospitality to those born outside of the U.S. and their families. Such support can take many forms and would be different in form and intensity for each congregation. Support might include: - Offer housing, logistical support and legal accompaniment (with the help of trained legal advocates) to help protect a person, including unaccompanied young people, from deportation. - Advocate for changes in immigration law that would bring justice and help keep families together. - Public witness: attend the vigils at the detention center in West Contra Costa County, or take part in other visible faith actions - Engage in rapid response witnessing to ICE activity to ensure safety and due process as people are taken into detention. - Pray privately and publicly for justice for people born outside the country. Resources for Ongoing Conversation and Engagement on Immigration / Sanctuary Offered by the Diocese of California: At Home in Exile book discussion with author Dr. Russell Jeung At the annual Executive Council retreat, the group selects a book to read over the year, creating a book group. This year Canon Stefani suggested At Home in Exile: Finding Jesus among my Ancestors and Refugee Neighbors a memoir of living in Oakland. Executive Council will have a conversation with Dr. Jeung about his book at Santiago / St James, Oakland on March 21. There will be expanded discussions that evening about community organizing and living in mutuality within neighborhoods. Executive Council is inviting the diocese to join the conversation even if you are not able to finish the book by March 21, we expect the dialogue to be rich and meaningful for all who attend. When: Tuesday, March 21, 5:30 p.m. (appetizers); 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. (book discussion) Where: Santiago / St James, th Avenue, Oakland Book: At Home in Exile on Amazon RSVP: Facebook event Faith in Action Bay Area (part of PICO National Network) Faith in Action is a grassroots and interfaith coalition of congregations and schools working to create innovative solutions to the economic and racial injustices facing residents on the San Francisco Peninsula. St. John s, St. James and St. Mary s are members of Faith in Action. Recently Faith in Action has been offering Rapid Response Legal Trainings to individuals and congregations committing to providing legal and moral observation for immigration/ice operations Cesar Chavez Street San Francisco, CA T: Interfaith Movement for Human Integrity (IM4HM) IM4HM engages people of diverse faiths in the movement for immigrant justice. Projects include: Nueva Esperanza a project to support the transition needs of newly arrived migrant youth and families. Organizations, congregations and trained volunteers commit to be Accompaniment Teams or familias de apoyo who are matched with new migrant families or individuals walk with alongside and provide support attending legal and court appointments, accessing health and dental care, legal support, securing housing, food donations, job leads, education and providing a network of care. Post-Release Accompaniment Project (PRAP) - helps immigrants detained at West County Detention 2

3 Facility by ICE in Richmond get safely home or to loved ones upon release. Volunteers from faith communities provide rides, clothing, food, and shortterm shelter. Coordination and support to several networks of local faith communities engaged in immigrant justice: East Bay Interfaith Immigration Coalition, Multifaith Immigration Coalition for Action in Contra Costa County, San Francisco Interfaith Coalition on Immigration, and Peninsula Interfaith Coalition on Immigration. Policy Advocacy - Working in coalition with others, provides a coordinated faith-based voice on policies to bring about the fair treatment of immigrants locally and in our state, to end immigration detentions and deportation, address the root causes of immigration, protection of refugees and migrants. Past/current work: o CA Trust Act o Domestic Workers Bill of Rights Stopping jail expansion of West Co. Detention Facility o Phone justice for inmates and detainees at West Co. Detention Facility o Separation of ICE from local law enforcement o Protecting Sanctuary City Policies o Funding and support to address newly arrived unaccompanied minors and families o Sanctuary Movement to Stop Deportations o Public Witness: Monthly Immigration Vigil: 1st Saturdays of the month, 11 am 12 noon - West County Detention Facility, 5555 Giant Highway, Richmond CA (Attended regularly by members of All Souls, Berkeley and other Episcopalians) Contact: or info@im4humanintegrity.com For Sanctuary Congregation info: or sanctuary@im4humanintegrity.org Web: Sanctuary Movement National sanctuary clearinghouse, including toolkit for faith allies CARECEN SF: providing legal and other services for immigrants in San Francisco PEACE TRAINING By Margaret Dyer-Chamberlain March 10-12, 2017 (Fri 2-8pm (+evening meal); Sat 9am-8pm (+ noon & evening meals); Sun 1-6 pm) Cost: $100. Limited scholarships upon request. Intergenerational, Ages 15+. Host: St Alban s Episcopal Church, Albany, CA Sponsor: Episcopal Peace Fellowship-East Bay Registration & Info: Deacon Kathleen Van Sickle, deaconkvs@att.net, Creating a Culture of Peace (CCP) training provides a spiritually-grounded and interactive learning time for being peaceful, hopeful people in a time of fear and violence --- a practical foundation in the principles, practices and power of active nonviolence. You will gain new tools, energy and concrete plans for taking action on issues you choose. CCP is a 15 year old national network of peace trainings offered to Episcopal churches, seminaries and to other faith, student, and peace & justice groups. Founder & Senior CCP Trainer, Janet Chisholm (past National EPF Chair & FOR Executive Director) www. creatingacultureofpeace.org 3

4 Resolution on Sanctuary By Davidson Bidwell-Waite Resolved, that in preparation for the One Hundred Sixty-Eighth Annual Meeting of the Diocese of California, the San Francisco Deanery urges Parishes to engage in prayerful consideration of whether the Diocese of California should declare itself to be a Sanctuary Diocese; and be it further Resolved, that as people of faith and people of conscience, we acknowledge that Holy Scripture calls us to welcome the stranger (Deuteronomy 10:19, Leviticus 19:34, Matthew 25:35), and therefore to resist the stated policy proposals of the newly elected Trump administration to target and deport millions of undocumented immigrants, including veterans who have honorably service in the US Military, and to eliminate the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program that has granted temporary relief for thousands of young people in our communities and families; and be it further Resolved, that the congregations and institutions of the Diocese of California individually consider becoming Sanctuary Congregations and Institutions, serving as places of welcome, refuge, healing, and other forms of material and pastoral support for those targeted by hate due to immigration status or some perceived status of difference, and that we work alongside our friends, families, and neighbors to ensure the dignity and human rights of all people; and be it further Resolved, that the Diocese of California and its congregations connect with other local and national sanctuary communities and institutions, immigrant rights groups and coalitions, and engage in educating, organizing, advocacy, and direct action, and other methods as deemed appropriate in each context, to ensure the safety and security of the undocumented community; and be it further Resolved, that the San Francisco Deanery engage with organizations like Faith in Action to assist in equipping congregations, clergy and lay leaders to engage in such work, appropriate to local contexts, capacity, and discernment; and be it further Resolved, that in undertaking such dialogue within our congregations, we seek to identify common spiritual values held as people of faith despite differences of perspective, objective or political affiliation. Explanation For many years, immigrant families have suffered on the margins of our society. They have been scapegoated during difficult economic times and victimized by harsh anti-immigrant ordinances passed by some states and localities. In the aftermath of the recent presidential election there is heightened concern that the campaign rhetoric villainizing immigrants will become policy targeting them because of their immigration status or religious beliefs. As a people of faith committed to dismantling oppressive systems and building structures and communities that reflect God s compassion and justice, we must do nothing less than make straight a highway in the desert for our sisters and brothers. This resolution puts our faith into action by standing with the growing number of cities, colleges and communities of faith declaring themselves places of welcome, refuge, healing, for those targeted by hate due to immigration status or some perceived status of difference as we work alongside our friends, families, and neighbors to ensure the dignity and human rights of all people. Speaking of engaging with controversial issues, Bishop Marc has quoted Presiding Bishop Frank Griswold saying, To open the door of one s heart is to relinquish certitude in favor of living the questions and to see Christ in all who knock on the right or the left It means to embrace and take into the inner chamber of one s own being seemingly irreconcilable and passionately held points of view, submitting them to the truth who is Christ and then remaining steadfast, even in the very midst of hell, without despair. Submitted by: The Reverend Davidson Bidwell-Waite, Faith in Action Clergy Group (and possibly John Kirkley and Richard Smith) 4

5 What Can I Do to Help Refugees? Support our members of Congress when they do the right thing. Thank and encourage them, so they don t lose heart. Senator Dianne Feinstein - (202) Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi - (202) Senator Kamala Harris - (202) Contact the President. Leave a message for Donald Trump at (866) , tweet realdonaldtrump, post a comment on Facebook. com/whitehouse or submit an electronic message at whitehouse.gov/contact. Donate to a refugee resettlement organization. It will lose significant federal funds because of the government s pullback, and it needs our support. International Rescue Committee Oakland (IRC) Jewish Family and Community Services East Bay (JFCS) Donate to the ACLU. It s leading the fight in the courts to vindicate the rights of refugees and other immigrants. American Civil Liberties Union Sponsor a recently-arrived refugee family with a group of friends or members of your congregation. Contact Maggie Berkemeyer of the IRC at (510) , or Kathryn Winogura of JFCS at (925) , ext. 529 Host a DIY fundraiser. Invite friends and people in your network to come together to support the IRC, JFCS or the ACLU. Support courageous reporters. Call or write to thank a reporter for doing a good job, or write a letter to the editor. Support a free press by reinstating the newspaper subscription that you dropped. New York Times Washington Post San Francisco Chronicle Sign up for advocacy alerts. For example, Church World Service Advocacy Alerts Be a friend. Ask immigrants you know or meet what the past several months have been like for them. BAY AREA ORGANIZING COMMITTEE 100 Pine Street, Suite #1250 PMB A167, San Francisco, CA

6 Community Organizing By Margaret Trezevant A strategy of the Marin Organizing Committee (MOC) 2017 For over 10 years, the Marin Organizing Committee (MOC), as part of the regional Bay Area Organizing Committee, has been engaging ordinary people in the day-to-day work of local politics and decision-making in Marin County. Our strategy is both institutionally and geographically based. We recruit and develop leaders from faith and civic organizations with roots in the community, and then challenge those same institutions to reimagine their boundaries to include more people on the margins: parents, grandparents, the young and old, clients, volunteers, newcomers and neighbors. In this way, MOC identifies new leaders from all corners of the community in a shared political life. The member institutions of MOC are churches, synagogues, non-profits, and civic organizations that share the common goal of developing their power to reclaim their communities. Our work is based on the fundamental belief that a healthy democracy requires the active participation of ordinary people. Say Yes! In My Backyard Addressing the housing crisis in the Bay Area and Marin will require multiple strategies: there are no magic bullets. These include protecting existing affordable housing stock; creating more second units; tenant protections such as rent stabilization, just cause for eviction, and source of income antidiscrimination ordinances; preventing the loss of housing through safety net funding (such as rapid rehousing dollars); dealing quickly and effectively with those who become homeless with adequate shelter, referral, and recovery systems; and, of course, the development of both market-rate and affordable housing throughout the region. None of these strategies comes without controversy, and none will gain significant traction in Marin County without an organized and powerful citizenbase capable of countering the dominant political narrative: Not In My Backyard. MOC is organizing a ground campaign of Marin 6 residents who want to say Yes! Yes to possibility, inclusivity, accessibility, affordability. Yes to a diverse, thriving, healthy community in my backyard. MOC is an organization that teaches ordinary citizens to understand how local power works and builds the constituent power-base for those people to be able to participate effectively in the decision-making about our common life. We believe in an equitable, inclusive, and sustainable Marin, and we believe that a critical part of making that a reality is assuring that people have an affordable and accessible place to stay. Whether in need of shelter for the night, a larger space for a child on the way, a home closer to work or family, or accessible housing to age in place, MOC stands for better options for more of us. We are reaching out into our community to find likeminded partners willing to invest time, resources, and shared expertise in a citizen-driven approach to addressing the housing crisis in our community. We support: 1) The development of a year-round site to house the current REST program as well as expanded case management, referral, and coordinated entry 2) Expanded protections for renters already and often precariously housed. 3) Increased affordable housing stock and expanded second units. In 2016 alone we engaged over 600 people in small group conversations about issues related to housing, and secured 8,500 signatures through face-to-face conversation in support of a permanent shelter in Marin County. We are 16 dues-paying institutions representing over 20,000 families and growing. We are just beginning. Will you join us?

7 MOC is a part of Bay Area Organizing Committee, a broad-based, non-partisan, multi-issue organization affiliated with the Industrial Areas Foundation, the nation s oldest and largest organizing and training network. MOC s track record in Marin includes: Organizing on-going support and funding for Rotating Emergency Shelter Team (REST). Advocating and winning funding for Housing First permanent supportive housing. Working with Marin County to secure additional, bilingual eligibility workers to assist in the implementation of the Affordable Care Act. Changing discriminatory San Rafael City Police towing and impoundment policy that inordinately burdened immigrant families. Organizing and advocating in support of both federal and state immigration reform efforts including Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), and CA AB60 Driver s Licenses for the Undocumented and assisting thousands of immigrants across the county with application and implementation. On-going leadership development with communities throughout the county to deepen the civic engagement of those traditionally on the margins. 7

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