Our Client Gets a Green Card

Leave a reply

Junior with is Green CardLast week Junior received his permanent US residency documents, the “Green Card”.

Congratulations!

Junior’s wait to receive his official notification of permanent residency status was long — but apparently also normal.  He applied in November, 2015 and waited about 16 months. All the while there was no news from the government — the Green Card application process is completely opaque to the “customers”.  It’s very nerve wracking, especially since the November election.

Unless you’ve done something criminal, you shouldn’t have to worry about getting the Green Card. At least as far as I know or what our clients have experienced.

But, the process takes a lot longer than is reasonable, even by the government’s standards. People waiting for Green Cards are told to get one-year extensions of the employment authorizations. But, that time expires before the Green Card arrives. So, more applications, more fees, and more anxiety.

On the other hand, it’s a real celebration when the card arrives and is in your hand!

Spreading the Word

Leave a reply

Cover photo of Junior on the Guardian Group brochureThe need to support LGBT refugees and asylum seekers has only increased with the change of administrations in Washington.  Rightly or wrongly, anxiety levels have increased among people who have fled to the United States because of violent homophobic conditions in their home country. These newcomers need people to listen and stand by them.

The Guardian Group’s emotional and practical support cannot affect Washington policies. But, we can offer frightened newcomers a community to talk to. We can also try to help refugees and asylum seekers find housing and jobs, and we can help them navigate state and Federal bureaucracies.

We continue to need people to volunteer as housing hosts, allowing an asylum seeker or refugee to stay with them for little or no rent.  We need people to be the primary contact for a newcomer, to be a non-anxious presence in anxious times.  We need other people to help us write grant requests, create policies, and outreach into the wider community.  We also, of course, need money.

We have creased a brochure that we are handing out a church, forums, and other places where allies gather.  (See the publication in PDF format.)

Check out the help we need.  Let us know if you can help. Share the brochure with someone you know who can help!

Guardian Group Adopts Policy and Procedures Manual

Leave a reply

Title Page from the Guardian Group Policy and Procedures ManualThe Guardian Group Steering Committee recently adopted a set of policies for our work.

It’s a sign of maturity, I guess!

Since we started meeting in 2011, much of what we did and encountered were the new to us.  We didn’t have time to codify what we were doing, and it felt like everything was being experienced for the first time.

We tried to use common sense and relied on each other to come up with standards for each situation we ran into.  Fortunately, we didn’t have any blow-ups that resulted from our seat-of-our-pants work.  But, new volunteers were frustrated at the lack of any written guidelines, and we wanted people to have an easier time pitching in.

So, we have created a policy and procedures manual.  It’s only 7 pages with two additional pages for agreements on confidentiality and volunteering.  Those last two pages are forms we ask ourselves and our new volunteers to look over and sign.

Of course, creating these policies and procedures represent another “first time” experience for the group.  We expect we left things out and may have gotten some other things wrong.  So, if you have any suggestions or questions, please feel free to comment here or to contact us.

Group Helps two More Asylum Seekers

Leave a reply

This week the Guardian Group met with two asylum seekers new to San Francisco and volunteered to help them settle in the Bay Area. The number of people we have helped since our formation in 2011 is now 14.

Here are our new clients:

23-Year Old Gay Man from Uganda"My boyfriend is an immigrant" T-shirt

“M” came to the US in June for the family’s business and while here his family back home discovered pictures of M and his boyfriend. The family told him that they would have him arrested as soon as he returned.  They also cut off his access to money. So, without having planned to stay in the US, M is forced to seek asylum and has no resources to support himself. And, like most asylum seekers, he is not eligible to work for at least six months.

The people in the Guardian Group who have met him are impressed by his intelligence and spirit.

Our group has given him food, a clipper card,  and went with him to Goodwill to buy some clothes.  He has been in touch with a pro-bono attorney to file the formal asylum request.

He needs a laptop computer and housing starting August 25th.

33-Year Old Lesbian from Cameroon

“J” is a lovely woman, very pleasant and speaks fairly good English.  She is living with a lesbian couple and their 3-year-old daughter.  They are in an apartment near Lake Merritt in Oakland. Back home J did not have a regular job, but sold ice cream on the street.   She suffered from brutal physical and mental attacks and escaped to the United States in April this year.  When she arrived in the US the Immigration and Custom Enforcement put her in detention until she was bailed out and joined the women from Oakland.

The Guardian Group will help her connect with local services and provide assistance with the living costs.

The Need Grows, Our Work Continues

The Guardian Group gets frequent emails and calls from people asking for help and from people who know newcomers who need support.  We cannot help most of the people we learn about because of our limited resources.  We are very happy that we were able to accept these two clients this week.

Changing Lives

Leave a reply

I was grateful to be invited to give a reflection on my experience with the Guardian Group at the Worship Service of the San Jose Unitarian Church on May 22, 2016.

After the shootings Sunday morning at Pulse in Orlando, my gratitude in being able to help these refugees and asylum seekers is only greater.