Raising Donations for JFON
Rev. Tom Lank
Last February, the Swarthmore community supported a service project that was sponsored by Swarthmore United Methodist Church. In return for a minimum donation of $20, each donor received a quart of prize-winning chili, made from church members’ recipes from their past chili cookoffs. The church’s outreach committee devised the project after realizing that it would not be feasible to hold in-person events during the pandemic. The community response was enthusiastic: more than $2,000 was raised for Justice For Our Neighbors (JFON) of the Delaware Valley.
The church will hold a follow-up fundraising event, “Songs of Freedom,” on Saturday, October 16, at 3 p.m., to which the community is invited. The event will start with an organ recital in the church’s sanctuary, then move outside to the lawn, where attendees will hear and sing songs with a theme of freedom. Food trucks and members of the church who are talented bakers will offer items for sale, and cash donations will also be accepted: all proceeds from the event will go to support JFON.
Pastor Lydia Munoz, a JFON board member, who was recently away on vacation, arranged for Rev. Tom Lank, vice-chair of the JFON board, to preach in her absence. In a recent interview, Rev. Lank provided an update on the church’s involvement with JFON.
He noted that Justice for Our Neighbors of the Delaware Valley, formed two years ago, serves parts of eastern Pennsylvania, southern New Jersey, Delaware, and Maryland’s Eastern Shore. Its mission is to provide pro bono legal services for immigrants, most of whom are undocumented, and most of whom live in farming communities. JFON typically helps immigrants prepare DACA petitions, secure legal protection from family violence, apply for green cards, find paths to citizenship, and obtain stays in removal cases. To date, JFON has led eight immigration training clinics at United Methodist churches, including one in Swarthmore and one in Norristown. Rev. Lank noted that JFON volunteers generally travel to their clients’ communities, since most clients don’t have cars or drivers’ licenses, and, if they do drive and are pulled over for a minor traffic offense, they can quickly face deportation.
JFON is also preparing to respond to the current expected influx of Afghan refugees. It is estimated that 22,000 Afghanis will arrive, most on so-called “special immigrant visas” (SIV). JFON plans to provide any necessary visa-related help, as well as help finding housing and meeting other basic needs. JFON is working in partnership with the Nationalities Services Center and Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society, both of which provide humanitarian aid and assistance to refugees, while coordinating with government efforts at resettlement (the government tries to put refugees into communities with others from the same country; for example, there is a large Afghan community in Fremont, California).
JFON is largely a volunteer organization. There are two paid attorneys on staff who supervise and train volunteer attorneys and paralegals. Training involves learning how to interview clients to determine whether there are possible avenues for legal permanent residency. To date, JFON volunteers have interviewed 100 immigrants, and accepted 50 cases. Volunteer training classes continue, and JFON’s goal is to take on a total of 300 cases. For potential volunteers with some legal background, email Rev. lank at Tom.lank@gmail.com.Those who wish to volunteer need not be attorneys. Rev. Lank emphasized: “We accept volunteers, not just ones with legal training, but also ones to provide hospitality and translation services.”
