What happens to families of those who are deported? Often, the breadwinner is the family member who is detained or deported. This leaves a spouse and children to fend for themselves. The purpose of the grant-funded program Helping Those Left Behind is to provide assistance that will enable family members to attain self-sufficiency. Services are broad-based, comprehensive, and involve numerous community resources, including food and clothing ministries, trauma-related counseling services, job training resources, housing, and social services. Lori will explain in detail the services provided to the families enrolled in the program and will talk about ongoing efforts to support Hispanic and under-served communities in these times of need.

Lori Garcia-McCammon started True Ridge three years ago. The nonprofit’s mission is to support under-served communities by providing culturally relevant bilingual advocacy, case management, and guidance in a safe space while educating and encouraging those who remain silent in the face of injustice to speak up and be heard. Lori grew up in Venezuela and her children were born there. She moved to Miami and then to Hendersonville in 1998. She is the executive director and co-founder of True Ridge, along with her husband, Ed. Lori has a background in nonprofits, previously working at the Family Justice Center with Safelight, another local nonprofit working with domestic violence and sexual assault survivors.

Topics: Connection, Immigration, Justice, Service