How to Get Involved?
Local Groups:
All Are Neighbors – AllAreNeighbors@yahoo.com
Saturday morning stand outs at Elm St Rotary 9:30 am – 10:30 am in support of immigrants, signs are available Monthly gathering at the Unitarian Church, Elm St after stand out to discuss next steps Offering legal rights training and free legal consultation through grant. Helping families organize and copy important documents. Organizing to increase community awareness and support of local immigrants
Gardner Immigration Circle –
Gardner Immigration Circle offers English lessons and support for immigrants who have recently settled in the area. Free childcare is available during lessons. Training is provided at no cost by Literacy Volunteers of the Montachusett Area. For more information, please contact: Cherie at: mccombcherie@gamil.com
Montachusett Immigrant Advocates (Westminster Tutor Group)
Contact: Kathy Coulson at: kcoulson45@comcast.ne English Language Classes, Mentoring through complexities of life in a new country. Helping set up apartments with furnishings and household goods. Helping find jobs, register for school, trouble shoot day to day issues, provide transportation, etc.Offering personal, supportive relationships with familiesSupported financially with donations from the Ashburnham/Westminster Knights of Columbus, and with space for classes, meals and storage by St Edwards Catholic Church, Westminster
Fund Raising and Networking
Rev William Wright of the First Church of Templeton is interested in collaborating with other faith communities to raise funds to benefit immigrants with needs. He invites other clergy, lay people and anyone interested to meet at Victoria Coffee House, Pleasant St., Gadner Wednesday afternoons at 1 pm to network and brainstorm ideas, one of which is to organize a 5K run as a fund raiser. Contact info: wawrigh@gmail.com
Statewide Groups
MIRA – Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy Coalition 69 Canal St., Unit 3, 3 rd floor, Boston 02114 617-350-5480 www.miracoalition.org
MIRA’s work spans policy analysis, legislative and administrative advocacy, organizing, training and education, and strategic communications.
LUCE- Immigration Justice Network of Massachusetts LUCEmass.org
Network of people who monitor for ICE activity in communities and mobilize observers to the scene. Roles can include manning call center, deploying as observers, calling in if see suspicious activity in your community, etc.
BIJAN – Boston Immigration Justice Accompaniment Network – https://www.beyondbondboston.org/
Organize individuals, congregations and othersinterested in showing up for each other to provide accompaniment and support as needed. Also, opportunities to support systemic change. This can include: support in court, or at ICE check-ins, fundraising for bond or legal fees, letters of support, rides for families to visit loved ones in detention, logistical assistance with paperwork or bond payments and more. Contact: bijanaccompaniment@gmail.com
OTHER OPPORTUNITIES AND IDEAS
Bearing Witness Demonstrations outside ICE Operations Office in Burlington, MA every month on the third Weds, 11 am – 1 pm (parking at Burlington Mall) upcoming dates Sept 17, 2025 and Oct 15, 2025
Abide in Love – Missouri based group providing care packages and resources for people in detention to call their families (You can listen to NPR segment: https://www.npr.org/2025/07/29/nx-s1-5460947/in-a-missouri-town-a-group-called-abide-in-love-works-to-help-immigrants-jailed-by-ice on their work, that could be duplicated elsewhere) Contact: info@abideinlove.org
We All Are Neighbors 