Funding for the Rendon Family

After first attracting significant national attention three weeks ago (with features in  Sojourner's, the Chicago Tribune,  Religion and News Service, Unvision, and a particularly damning Op-Ed by Tribune regular Rex Huppke ) Pastor Betty Rendon of Emaus Lutheran Church in Racine, Wisconsin was deported to her native Colombia by ICE on the morning of Tuesday, May 28, 2019. The shock was immediate, but not total - as a major vigil held in her honor that night even more greatly heightened public to her plight. In response to this vigil as well, a  GoFundMe campaign was launched - raising it's target $10,000 in exactly 36 hours. This level of giving is rare, and in order to help Pastor Betty even more, the fundraising coordinators have begun a second phase.

Thanks to generous individual and congregational gifts, we are now thrilled to announce a Phase II of this GoFundMe - a matching grant of $5000.00. Once completed - this means yet ANOTHER $10k to go towards the Rendon family. Half will be used to to pay long-term bills for Paula and her daughter Layla (especially dental work and health care) and the other will be transferred to Pastor Betty's personal bank account in Colombia as she and her husband Carlos start to rebuild their lives.  

So please, friends, help us out again? If you have given once before, consider giving again. Think of having a collection at your parish one Sunday that can be used to get us to our target goal of $5k. And of course, share the link everywhere you can.

Thank you again, and peace be with you.