Texas Organizing Project, Workers’ Defense Project Launch Harvey Relief Fund
Undocumented immigrants vulnerable amid Hurricane Harvey
08.28.2017
NEW YORK/HOUSTON – Texas Organizing Project Education Fund (TOP Ed Fund) and Workers Defense Project (WDP), both affiliates of the Center for Popular Democracy, have joined other community organizations in launching a relief fund to meet the needs of the most vulnerable communities affected by Hurricane Harvey, which swept across Houston over the weekend, leaving thousands stranded and 10 dead.
Other groups involved in the Harvey Community Relief Fund include SEIU Texas, Faith in Texas, CWA, Texas RioGrande Legal Aid, and the Texas Low Income Housing Information Service. Resources will go toward first response and humanitarian aid as well as funding housing and legal advocacy needs.
An estimated 575,000 undocumented immigrants live in the Houston area and will not be able to access many of the public disaster relief resources, especially with the draconian anti-immigrant SB4 law poised to take effect on Friday.
TOP Ed Fund has been involved with disaster relief before. When Hurricane Ike struck nearly a decade ago, TOP helped secure disaster relief funds for low-income communities.
“We know that the impact of Hurricane Harvey, as it continues to unfold, will not cease after the national attention turns elsewhere,” said Ginny Goldman, founder of TOP Ed Fund and chair of the Harvey Community Relief Fund. “That’s why we are asking you to join us to support the Harvey Community Relief Fund. Together, we can make the forecast for Houston better than the one we see on our television screens.”
Ana Maria Archila, co-executive director for Center for Popular Democracy, said, "Texas' most vulnerable communities, undocumented immigrants, will become even more defenseless in the face of an unprecedented natural disaster like Hurricane Harvey. Our affiliates on the ground know all too well the threat faced by our communities and that's why they have sprung into action to support our families."
The Center for Popular Democracy promotes equity, opportunity, and a dynamic democracy in partnership with innovative base-building organizations, organizing networks and alliances, and progressive unions across the country. CPD builds the strength and capacity of democratic organizations to envision and advance a pro-worker, pro-immigrant, racial justice agenda.
Contact: Asya Pikovsky, apikovsky@populardemocracy.org
Anita Jain, ajain@populardemocracy.org, 347-636-9761
