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Even though we have had to temporarily suspend our lunch program at Grace Church in Palisades Park, the work of CoFiA continues. Several restaurants in the area are generously offering very inexpensive lunches to the workers on Mondays, costing us little more than we were spending on our own service (although not as much food). We have also been invited to hold meetings in the restaurants, which is a big help. Thank you, Palisades Park, for your support!

And the regular work continues as well. On the Saturday after the Presidential Ban on immigrants from seven majority Muslim countries was announced, our Community Organizer, Sayda Tuanama, took a group of CoFiA worker-memnbers to Newark airport to join in the protest sponsored by the New Jersey Alliance for Immigrant Justice, of which CoFiA is a member.

Our wage theft committee stays busy as usual. Two people who recently won their claims returned to Guatemala before the checks arrived; the committee was able to send them on, to direct deposit in Guatemalan accounts. A $900 payment is a big help for a worker whose wife is ill.

And of course our Workers Link program is much in demand with our freak snow storm. Many people now call us, or call a worker directly, for assistance.  Mutual benefits!

CoFiA is a member of a statewide immigrants rights organization, the New Jersey Alliance for Immigrant Justice. Today (Sunday, January 29, 2017) we received the following statement:

Today [Saturday] we woke up to the horrifying news that the US was denying entrance to refugees who had been vetted and approved to come to our country. Tonight we go to sleep knowing that–for the moment–refugees cannot be turned back without having their cases fairly heard. This is due to the ACLU’s amazing legal work which resulted in a temporary stay against the deportation of anyone who would’ve been allowed in before Trump’s anti-Muslim anti-refugee executive orders.

It’s also because YOU [members of the Alliance] came out to march in Newark Liberty Airport and joined protestors around the country to call out President Trump’s unconstitutional and unconscionable Muslim Ban. It’s also because a BRAVE team of volunteer lawyers at EWR swiftly jumped in to defend and protect the rights of detainees leading to the release of two detained
individuals.

Sunday [January 29] we continue our fight! We will not rest until all of President Trump’s racist, unconstitutional and unconscionable policies are permanently reversed.

Join us at the Elizabeth Detention Center where every day asylum seekers fleeing violence are detained, to continue our fight and stand together. #NoBanNoWall

Details are here: https://www.facebook.com/events/202200356916437??ti=ia   Host organizations: Make the Road New Jersey; NJ Alliance for Immigrant Justice; SEIU 32BJ; Muslim Community Center of Union County [CoFiA will be added to the list as a sponsor]

An article by Monsy Alvarado in this morning’s RECORD quotes Borough Administrator David Lorenzo as stating that Grace Church was not ordered to stop the lunch program. Although the church told CoFiA, via email, that there were fire and safety concerns, Lorenzo said an inspection of the church turned up no violation.   http://www.northjersey.com/story/news/2017/01/24/help-day-laborers-hits-obstacles/96166752/

So we are still wondering what the motivation was for shutting down the programs after almost seven years of a congenial relationship between the church and CoFiA.

There has been no change in our programs or in the church premises.  And the work we do is very helpful to the community.  Alvarado quotes one man, a day laborer,  as saying, “For me, it was giving me a helping hand…I’m grateful to them and their help, and for giving us a meal.  But if they can’t give anymore, what can we do?”

We are offering tickets for free lunches at local restaurants, and our other programs (wage theft recovery, workers link connections, ESL, leadership training, OSHA recruitment, and others) continue as usual.  But the lunch program provided not just a hot lunch but also an opportunity to participate in educational programs and general conversation with staff and other guests.

We are looking for alternative sites (and welcome all suggestions!)  but in the meantime we still are asking, “Why?

If you have information or suggestions drop us a note at info@communityoffriendsinaction.org.

As you may know, CoFiA has been advised by Grace Church that we may no longer continue the programs we have had there since 2009.  We are still trying to find out why, but in the meantime we cannot continue with our lunch program.  Too bad!

In the meantime we are giving out “free lunch” tickets which are being honored at local restaurants.  We are able to do this because of the generosity of CoFiA members and contacts in response to our fall appeal.  (If you want to help expand the program, you could send a check payable to CoFiA either by mail—P.O. Box 313, Leonia, NJ 07605, or by PayPal.)

Our other programs continue as usual, in various locations.   See other posts for more information.  We need volunteers to help with all of them.

CoFiA’s wage-theft recovery effort is frequently about detective work. We want to have an assertive discussion with the deadbeat employer–but that can’t happen unless we know who it is. Failing a successful collection effort, we solicit the help of the very supportive NJ Department of Labor–but they need not only a name, but an address. All of this is complicated by the fact that the workers are often very casual about critical pieces of workplace information. After all, if the employer provides a job, a tool or two, and some cash on payday, why would you need to know business names, the boss’s surname, addresses, and phone numbers? The problem is compounded, of course, by the language barrier, and the fact that the employer prefers it that way.

This is the story of Edwardo and Jose, (not their real names, of course),  carpenters and masons. They had been working for months for a construction boss, “Roxie”, until Roxie ran afoul of a non-paying client. Roxie was in a pinch, and she did what unethical employers often do to their most vulnerable employees: she stiffed them. She was genuinely worried when  we called to tell her that she had violated the law, and that CoFiA works with the Department of Labor to settle such cases. She promised to send the $2000 owed, to CoFiA.

When the checks didn’t arrive, we had a dilemma–we knew Roxie’s first name and her cell number, but nothing more–not enough to initiate further action. But the guys had been to her house in Clifton, and though they didn’t know the address, they figured they could guide us to it. So that’s what they did. Meeting at one of CoFiA’s “field offices”–the White Castle on Bergenline Avenue–they drove into the crowded and festive New Year’s Eve streets of Passaic and Clifton, and pointed out Roxie’s house. As if to prove the point, Roxie was taking out the garbage. “Want to talk to her now?” we asked. “Claro que no!” and they slid down into their seats. We parked a few houses up, and then doubled back to check the house number, and any information on the mailbox. There it was: Roxie A____, and even the name of her company. Roxie will be hearing from us again!

Photo and text:  Norm Smith

Snow, snow, snow. A nuisance for most of us but a godsend for the workers. If you need help, send a request to our web site with the full details of the job–where, what, when, and how much you are offering. Remember that everybody needs help RIGHT NOW so we may not be able to send someone as quickly as you like.

There are also experienced workers available for many indoor jobs. Painting, dry wall work, cleaning of all kinds, moving furniture around indoors (but our friends don’t have trucks), etc. Many workers have OSHA certificates, which they will be glad to show you. If you aren’t comfortable in Spanish let us know; many of the workers are bilingual, and we can also provide translation from time to time.

Enjoy making new friends and getting some of those neglected chores done!

We were recently advised by the pastor of Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church, where we have been offering hot lunch once a week to the workers during the cold months, that the borough is no longer allowing this program. We have not yet received any clarification as to what the basis for the announcement is, but are of course complying with the pastor’s request. We will keep everyone posted as we learn more.

In the meantime the many other programs of CoFiA continue including our English classes; assistance with wage theft recovery; workers’ link; numerous responses from our social services coordinator to requests for many and varied kinds of assistance; the coat drive at the Leonia Public Library and Independence House, along with the Rotary Club; leadership training and Know Your Rights information for the Saturday night group–and much more. And we continue to worry about the half dozen or so homeless people who are somehow surviving without shelter. The closure of our lunch program seems to be somehow related to the fact that St. Michael’s Church allowed a few to sleep there for a night or two and one man died. We don’t know how this incident is related to the lunch program.

Both CoFiA members and volunteers, and the guests who enjoyed the hot lunches, are so grateful to the pastors and secretary at Grace Church for their years of hospitality and support.  We look forward to continuing to work together in whatever structure is permitted by the borough.

Our detemined wage theft committee is hard at work trying to track down employers who have cheated workers of their wages. As usual, the employers are promising to send checks right away–but nothing shows up in our mail box. Another much-too-common problem is that the worker is apt to have little information about the offending boss–a “house on Main Street” in a particular town may be all they know, or maybe the first name of the employer. Even with so little information, our wage theft sleuths often track them down!

Most workers live very close to the edge, financially, and just one or two missing pay checks may be enough to move them into the ranks of the homeless.

Many thanks to our dedicated committee! If you would like to help, just let us know.

It’s a Party!! Fiesta!!!

All-CoFiA Membership Potluck Dinner; Para Todos Miembros de Cofia, Una Cena

Saturday, January 7, 2017, Sabado, el 7 de enero, 6-8 p.m., Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church, Broad Avenue at Homestead St., Palisades Park, NJ

Admission Fee: One Dish of Food to Serve 6, OR $5.00. Admision: Traiga un plato de comida para servir 6 o $5.00. Children free Ninos sin cuesta. Wear COFIA T-Shirt Lleva su camiseta de COFIA

GREAT FOOD! PARTY GAMES! MUSIC! BUENA COMIDA! JUEGOS DE FIESTA! MUSICA!

Responde a Betty DeMarco 201-723-9696 (Ingle or Spanish), or Sayda Tuanama 973-930-2798 (Espanol)

The homeless man who died recently in Palisades Park has been identified as Jose Teletor, also known as Mario. The community, led by his second cousin Santos Teletor and assisted by the CoFiA social services coordinator Angelica Martinez, contributed more than $4000 to send his body back to Guatemala. He is survived by his wife and a 14 year-old son. An article by Cheryl O’Brien of the RECORD was published on Thursday, December 29, 2016 (see below).

A funeral, held at the Presbyterian Church of New Jersey, 500 Broad Avenue in Palisades Park, was packed, according to people who attended. The pastor of the Spanish-speaking congregation led the service. Pastors from other churches that serve the Spanish-speaking members of the community were present as well.

Many people, including a representative from CoFiA, the Mayor and Administrator of the borough, several pastors, and members of the community are concerned about the ongoing situation of the homeless and are discussing ways to help them. So far no workable solutions have been found. One person has started a go-fund-me campaign to raise money but has not yet decided on the most useful way to target the funds. What is needed most is housing, or, temporarily, shelter somewhere in the borough. All suggestions or leads are welcome.