Sounds of laughter and swishing paint brushes filled the air along with the smells of hot cocoa and chocolate chip cookies at Comfort and Canvas, a Casa fundraiser held on Sunday, January 18, at St. Mary of the Assumption Catholic Church in Milford. More than two dozen attendees of various ages and artistic skill levels painted winter mountain scenes under the gentle guidance of a trained studio artist, raising $1,000 in support of Casa’s Emergency Mutual Aid food distribution program.

​Just one day before, the same church hall was filled with the sounds of children at play, light music, and volunteers filling over 200 reusable shopping bags with fresh vegetables and dry goods. Dozens of immigrant families gathered at St. Mary Church to pick up their mutual aid food bags, while other families, unable to come in person, were able to have their bags brought to them by a network of generous volunteer drivers.

Intensive immigration enforcement has led to widespread food insecurity for immigrant families throughout the Metrowest area. Wage-earners are picked up by ICE and held in detention, depriving their families of financial resources, and leaving other families too scared to go to work or even to their local grocery store to buy food.

Casa is seeking to support these neighbors in need, holding mutual aid food distributions every Saturday, alternating weekly between Milford and Framingham. Each distribution costs approximately $3,500 - even with food being purchased in bulk at wholesale prices and then repackaged into smaller portions when the food bags are prepared.

This highlights the need for fundraisers like Comfort and Canvas as well as donations to the Casa Emergency Mutual Aid Fund. Thank you to all those who came out on Sunday, the many hands who helped organize the wonderful event, and everyone who has donated in support of this vital effort. 

Wednesday, June 18th Casa and others in our Injured Workers' Coalition attended the legislative hearing before the Joint Committee for Labor and Workforce Development regarding 'An Act to Protect Injured Workers' H.2151/S.1310.
 

Casa spoke to worker stories on a panel with other worker centers including the Brazilian Women's Group, Brockton Worker's Alliance, and MassCOSH. Key allied professionals including attorneys in employment and Worker's Compensation specialties testified alongside representatives from MIRA. 

We continue to look to allies for reaching out to their elected officials regarding the bill, particularly those with legislators who may be unfamiliar with it. We are hopeful the Committee gives a favorable report on the bill. 

                                                                                    Photo Credit: Karen Price

Earlier this June, at the annual Spring Meeting of the Needham Area Immigration Task force, Casa staff Naren Roy and Diego Low provided updates for allies regarding the continuing work of supporting families torn apart by current Department of Homeland Security immigration policy. 

Then, a Casa Leader whose entire family was personally affected -- just one of many local to MetroWest, including the recent high profile case of local student Marcelo Gomes -- spoke directly to the community allies present. He recounted overcoming the many challenges of his time in the immigration detention system and stressed the importance of allies and immigrant neighbors sticking together while reminding the community at large that most of those affected on a daily basis by often cruel immigration enforcement tactics are NOT individuals pertaining to a criminal element. 


Read coverage by the Needham Observer's Julie M. Cohen who was present for this hybrid event.

Thank you to the Needham Area Immigration Justice Task Force for inviting us to table at the forum they co hosted earlier this week with Massachusetts Law Reform Institute’s Heather Yountz and the incredible Students Teaching Instruments to Create Community Harmony. It is essential to continue our education and collaboration amongst the ally community!