Dear friends,
The Church Council of Greater Seattle upholds and affirms
the rights and dignity of all immigrants and refugees.
Since 2017 Church Council faith leaders and allies have come alongside the immigrant community in accompaniment. Accompaniment is about relationships – these relationships are grounded in values of trust, solidarity, and convivencia (the essence of community coexistence, coming together in mutuality and celebration).
No one knows what’s best for the community but the community themselves. Convivencia allows community building to happen organically, enabling us all to connect and respond in solidarity to the needs of community members.
One community member who recently reached out to our Accompaniment hotline was experiencing confusion and anxiety ahead of a court appearance. RM was quickly paired with two experienced volunteers, both trained and motivated to help him to know and to feel that he is not alone.
In this spirit of convivencia, our accompaniment volunteers were open and vulnerable about their own backgrounds, desired outcomes, and anxiety during prep meetings with RM – this supported him in sharing his own story and renewed his confidence. Indeed, the court witnessed these genuine, mutual relationships and responded very positively.
This is the foundation of all the Church Council’s work:
becoming an authentic vehicle for organizing collective power.
SUPPORT THIS WORK HERE!
From undergirding infrastructure and capacity to cultivating locally-rooted solidarity circles around issues of housing, immigration, and Faith Land stewardship, building collective power is the means for creating transformational change toward liberation and justice. At CCGS we know deep in our bones that real, lasting change comes from community-based organizing in which people living in convivencia build resilience and experience self-agency, autonomy, and uninhibited joy. This belief runs so deep that we recently crafted our new vision statement to express the ultimate manifestation of our collective power building:
The Church Council of Greater Seattle envisions a future when justice is realized, where all people experience liberation, profound peace, expansive equity, and joy-filled human flourishing.
Your gift today makes this possible. Together, we are cultivating communities where all people thrive and have what they need: moving money, policy, and culture toward a sacred reverence for all. Will you come alongside us as we work together to transform our world?
You can give securely online any time at thechurchcouncil.org, or mail your check to PO Box 18467, Seattle WA, 98118. Generosity in all shapes and sizes fuels transformational change – thank you for embodying the change you know is possible.
In Spirit,
Cinda Stenger
Development Lead, Church Council of Greater Seattle
Direct: 206-204-3853
No están solas – you are not alone!
“Don’t Deport Jose” rally and solidarity march to USCIS on July 17, 2019 in support of Jose Robles. Jose was detained at the immigration appointment community members are seen here accompanying Jose and his family to. Jose was detained for almost 2 years and finally released in 2021.
Asylum-seeking community members recently released from detention and local community members hosting them through the Church Council accompaniment network cook together in 2018. The Church Council community walked alongside many of the 206 asylum-seeking parents separated from their children and illegally detained during summer 2018. We connected several of those released with host families and necessities like clothes and toiletries and phone cards, and supported many families in reunifying through airfare, transportation, and accompaniment through the legal aspects of the process.
A mother and her teenage daughter who came to the US together seeking asylum are reunited after being separated and detained separately for months. CCGS and our partners supported the mother’s immediate needs during and after detention, and helped coordinate their reunification.
CCGS Accompaniment staff and volunteers at a training in 2019.
The Rubio family during their nearly three years in Sanctuary. As they transition out of Sanctuary in 2022 (yes!!!!), CCGS continues to walk alongside them and our shared community to ensure they have what they need to rebuild their lives.
During the summer of 2020, we responded directly to the increased need for food access in our community due to the COVID-19 pandemic. From May 27th – July 29th 2020, 30 CCGS volunteers transported 1,022 food boxes to 66 households
Community briefing at Saint Mark’s Episcopal Cathedral in 2018 to provide updates on the developing circumstances for asylum-seekers unlawfully detained in SeaTac and our collective efforts to liberate and reunify them and their families.