Hello Friends, Supporters, and Advocates for Immigration Justice at Eliot Chapel,

We are grateful for the unparalleled support for the work of the immigration justice team at Eliot Chapel and are proud of our accomplishments, whether they be at the level of service, witness, advocacy, education, or community partnerships. Many of you are aware that we lost one of our inaugural leaders when Paula Fulks died suddenly a couple of weeks ago. Paula remained devoted to the cause, actively participated at Eliot and within the community, and was a reliable contributor in every way. We have lost a true champion.

Shortly before Paula's death, we had convened a leadership meeting to talk about the future of the Immigration Justice Team and how to maximize the sustainability of our team. The work is needed more than ever, and we want to ensure that we are good stewards of our resources. 

We are proposing a new governance structure for the Immigration Justice Team that is project-based. This will allow us to minimize long-term commitments, reduce time spent in meetings, and create opportunities for participation that are accessible to people of different ages, interests, availability, and abilities. We are all juggling these days, and the current immigration crisis needs our attention.

We will continue to have a small steering team with a facilitator, communications roles (We are thinking that we need two people for this to expand our social media presence, keep people aware of opportunities, respond to emails, and account for our meetings.), and activity planners. We are also planning to pivot from a monthly meeting to an educational forum, given that our participants consistently lift up the learning as one of our most exciting opportunities.

If you don't mind planning for the year, if you are visionary, creative, or inspirational, PLEASE come share your gifts at our next meeting on Tuesday, June 23. This meeting will be focused on creating the action plan for the year, which includes identifying events, activities, and partnerships.

By attending this meeting, you will be sharing your ideas. You will not be making any type of ongoing commitment. Come join us, share your thoughts, and learn how you might find other ways to participate in the year to come.

Sincerely,

The Steering Committee for Immigration Justice Team at Eliot UU Chapel

Contact us at immigration@eliotchapel.org