Last Monday night Maria Magdalena Reformed Church moved one step closer to establishing a legal clinic in Northwest Iowa in partnership with Immigrant Connection—an organization that works with churches to provide affordable and accessible legal services. Last Monday night we held a fundraiser banquet to provide information for members of the community, and to provide ways for people to partner with us. The banquet was a success thanks to the generosity of attendees!
The goal of Immigrant Connection is the flourishing of our friends and neighbors. Immigrants are valuable members of our communities, providing economic and cultural benefits for many rural Iowa towns and cities. Immigrants and refugees don’t want charity, they want opportunity. They want to be able to support their families, start businesses, and make a living in their new home. To do this, they need access to affordable legal services.
Immigrant Connection of Northwest Iowa will have two DOJ accredited staff members who will provide immigrant services in Northwest Iowa. These services are not free, but they are a fraction of the cost individuals pay elsewhere. They are local, with an office in Sioux Center, IA and a mobile office to be set up in Storm Lake, IA. Our hope is to be able to begin offering services sometime late summer / early fall.
We are currently raising funds to help get Immigrant Connection off the ground. While the program will eventually be sustained by the fees people pay for services, anything we raise now will be used to hire more legal assistants so we can serve more clients.
If you would like to support Immigrant Connection of Northwest Iowa, please consider giving either a one time or continuing gift. Ten gifts of $200 a month will allow us hire one part time legal assistant.
There are two ways to give:
Online - Click here to give online. The funds will be given through Maria Magdalena Reformed Church.
Or, you can write a personal check made out & mailed to:
Maria Magdalena
C/o Jason Lief
152 1st Ave. SE
Sioux Center, IA 51250
Enclose a note designating your funds to Immigrant Connection.
Thanks for considering! Please spread the word!
Jason Lief