NEWS

Thanks to the generosity of our friends at Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church in Palisades Park, the Community of Friends in Action now has an office. For many years we have been offered the use of the large downstairs meeting room at the church, which is on Broad Avenue at Homestead Street, for our Monday lunches. As our program has grown, and we have added a second part-time staff person, Sayda Tuanama, we found we needed a designated place to have meetings and for the staff members to work. Fortunately, the Community Chest of Leonia awarded us an Impact Grant that allowed us to make a modest offer for space use to the church, and we “moved in” in early November. It has already proved very helpful. Come and visit! But let us know first–it is strictly a by appointment arrangement.

CoFiA ended the year 2015 on a high note, receiving many donations as a result of our end-of-year appeal, and the addition of PayPal to our site. Many thanks to Maria Andreu, who managed the process. And to all of you who continue to support us both financially and with many, many hours of volunteer service.

As we begin 2016 we share the fears of many in the immigrant community about the raids that ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) is carrying out, rounding up people who they believe fit their priorities for deportation. Rumors are rampant, and it is difficult to sort out fact from fiction. However, it is easy to feel the distress among our friends as they face the possibilities of being abruptly removed from their families and sent back to a country from which they fled for their lives.

Please let the White House know that terrorizing vulnerable people in this way is unacceptable.Call (202)456-1111. You might say, “I call on President Obama to halt immigration raids, especially those at homes. It’s unconscionable to target vulnerable families and children at their homes. Protect the human dignity and rights of asylum seekers and immigrants who’ve already been through so much to get to the US.

A rally was planned for Thursday, January 7, at 1:00 p.m., at the Federal Building in Newark to protest the raids. CoFiA, along with many other immigrants rights groups, is planning Know Your Rights sessions. We will continue to post information as it becomes available.

On Friday, January 15, 2016, at 7:30 p.m. a video, IMMIGRANTS FOR SALE, will be screened at the Central Unitarian Church, 156 Forest Ave., Paramus. The discussion will be led by Johanna Calle, N.J. Alliance for Immigrant Justice, of which COFIA is a member.

The Nation says Immigrants for Sale is “a powerful animated video exposing the way private prisons profit off the passage of anti-immigrant legislation, and what that means for the democratic process.” Most of us are aware of the multiple problems that exist with our criminal justice system. We may be less aware that the private prison industry, which owns and operates many facilities throughout the country, depends on undocumented immigrants to fill their beds.

Come for the film, stay for the discussion! If you would like to carpool from Leonia, send a message to info@communityoffriendsinaction and we’ll see what we can do.

The wage theft committee has collected several outstanding debts during the holidays. One sad experience was that a check that was turned over by the employer bounced, leaving the worker not only without that money but also with a fee from the check cashing service.

In another situation, CoFiA is helping to collect on “a long drawn out case of slow justice.” The New Jersey Department of Labor worked out an arrangement with a contractor to pay five men several thousand dollars they were owed from one contractor. Unfortunately, the judgment only requires the contractor to pay $100 per month. The DOL holds the money until they have collected $1000, and then sends a check in care of CoFiA. The committee members meet with the men to divide up the money. They report that the men are very understanding about the long process; without CoFiA’s help they would not have received any back pay.

The Annual Meeting of CoFiA will be held on Friday, December 4, 2015, at 6:30 p.m. at the Presbyterian Church in Leonia, 181 Fort Lee Road, Leonia. It’s not too late to let us know what you plan to contribute to the potluck dinner–send an email to marbwhite@aol.com.

Peggy Ehrhart, guitar, a member of the Still Standing Band, will lead a singalong, and Joselino Chocoj, singer and songwriter, will perform.

We are saying a fond farewell to the Rev. Debra Given, pastor of the Presbyterian Church in Leonia. She has been involved with CoFiA since the beginning, and the members of her church have graciously opened their doors to our many meetings, events, and fund raisers. Debra will be much missed both by our organization and her parish and throughout the community. Thanks for everything!

On Monday, November 16, hundreds of immigrant advocates, local residents, faith and business leaders gathered outside Trenton State House to celebrate the historic approval of the driver’s license legislation in the Assembly’s homeland security committee. The Committee voted 3 to 2 in favor of the bill introduced by Assemblywoman Annette Quijano, which would expand driver’s licenses access to hard-working undocumented immigrants in New Jersey. If the bill passes, New Jersey would join 13 states and Washington DC in allowing undocumented immigrants to obtain driver’s licenses. About 464,000 New Jersey residents could benefit from this policy.
The Legislation is A4425/S2925.
The New Jersey Alliance for Immigrant Justice, a statewide coalition of which CoFiA is a member, sponsored the rally and is working to educate legislators and the public about the issue. Sayda Tuanama, CoFiA’s newly appointed community organizer, represented us at the rally.

MayaMam Weavers from Cajola, Guatemala, is offering a 15 percent discount to members of CoFiA who order from their website by December 15. Please go to our home page for the address and coupon number.

Grupo Cajola has done amazing work in their efforts to improve the economic situation of the community. In addition to the chicken and egg farm the women have organized and run, they operate the weaving shop, a carpentry shop that makes looms for the weavers, and a wonderful preschool where the children are taught the Mam language.

CoFiA is honored to welcome Craig Garcia of New Jersey Working Families as the speaker at our Annual Meeting, Friday, December 4, 2015. With immigration reform stalled in the United States, his topic could not be more timely: “New Models of Organizing in NJ.”

Before joining Working Families Craig was the lead organizer at New Labor, a New Brunswick-based immigrant worker center. He designed and led a campaign for the passage of New Jersey’s first anti-wage theft ordinances, and is currently working with elected officials to implement similar legislation in Newark, Jersey City and other municipalities, and to strengthen the state laws.

CoFiA’s wage theft recovery committee continues to help many workers get money promised to them but not paid. Finding new ways of organizing and influencing decision makers is an important goal for CoFiA. Our new staff member, Sayda Tuanama, has worked closely with Craig and we are looking forward to moving ahead under her leadership.

STAMP OUT DESPAIR CAMPAIGN

First Friends of NJ & NY is holding its annual “Stamp Out Despair” campaign gathering stamped envelopes, writing paper, and funds for phone cards for immigrants being held in detention in the New York metropolitan area. CoFiA encourages our members and friends to support this effort.

Over 2000 immigrants are held in immigration detention in the New York area. These people are not criminals. Their only offense is being in this country without papers—a civil offense, like having a parking ticket or jumping a turnstile. They are held in these “detention centers” while they wait for some resolution of their immigration status—sometimes for weeks or months.

A major concern is to be in contact with family and friends. They often do not have money to purchase stationery, stamped envelopes or phone cards.

First Friends is asking us to collect the following:
*blank 2 pocket folders
*First class “Forever” postage stamps and global forever stamps
*Writing paper and colored paper
*Large and small envelopes
*Personalized notes of encouragement addressed ‘Dear Friend’

Monetary donations for the purchase of phone cards ($28.75 each) are also welcome, checks payable to First Friends of NJ & NY.

Any of these may be brought to the CoFiA Annual Meeting on Friday, December 4, 2015, at the Presbyterian Church in Leonia, 181 Fort Lee Road, Leonia

The Community of Friends once again participated in the Annual Health Fair of the Borough of Palisades Park. In addition to providing information about CoFiA, we offered a lovely hand-woven apron from Guatemala to be included in the raffle, as well as little bracelets made by Angelica for children and pulseras from Grupo Cajola in Guatemala.

Thanks to the members of CoFiA for lending a hand to this project, and to the Borough of Palisades Park, James Rotundo, Mayor, and Steve Wielkocz, Health Officer/Administrator for recognizing us with a proclamation.