English Evangelical Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd

Hello South Brooklyn Mutual Aid Community and beyond!

We’ve created this crowdfunding page to provide access to cell phone plans for asylum seekers who have recently arrived in Brooklyn from Texas.

Thousands of asylum seekers who crossed the border into Texas have been dropped off in NYC without a safety net. Mutual aid groups, church groups, and community organizers are stepping up across the city to build that safety net by collecting essential items and organizing housing, jobs, and other assistance.

As part of that effort, South Brooklyn Mutual Aid is partnering with Good Shepherd Church in Bay Ridge to provide cell phone plans to asylum seekers. The cell phones themselves have already been purchased, they just need to be activated with plans.

Donations to this fund will be used directly to purchase phone plans for asylum seekers. $150 purchases six months of service for one person. Six months is generally the minimum amount of time for an asylum seeker to set up work authorization, submit their asylum application, find a job, find an apartment, and access services like public schools and healthcare. These all require being in very close communication with several organizations and agencies by phone.

For another way to get involved in supporting asylum seekers, SBKMA needs volunteers to help cook and host regular community meals at Good Shepherd Church in Bay Ridge. Families are coming to this space daily and volunteers should be prepared to join a warm, welcoming, inclusive community space that prioritizes the needs of our newly arrived neighbors. You can sign up to help cook with this survey.

Your support is needed and appreciated!