August's Shared Offering: New Sanctuary Movement

The New Sanctuary Movement (NSM) is a growing movement of faith and immigrant communities doing what Congress and the administration refuse to do: protect and stand with immigrants facing deportation. Members of the NSM pledge to protect immigrant families who face workplace discrimination or unjust deportation.

Approximately 20 UUA congregations and organizations have pledged to support the work of the Movement.

First Unitarian Society of Denver (fusden.org) and First Unitarian Universalist Church of Austin (austinuu.org) are the two UU congregations actively housing refugees from Mexico and Central America.

First Unitarian of Denver provides sanctuary for Arturo Armando Hernández Garcia, a small businessman who has lived in the United States for more than 15 years. He is the father of two daughters, one an American citizen, and they need him at home.

Austin UU is providing sanctuary for Sulma Franco, a woman from Guatemala who had been a leader in Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender rights activism. She fled her country and fears going back because LGBT persons in Guatemala are routinely murdered or physically abused. The Guatemalan government does nothing to protect them, implicitly supporting these abuses. 

Costs incurred by sanctuary host may include renovating and maintaining a living space in the church building, feeding and housing a sanctuary seeker, pastoral care visits, utilities, security, legal fees, training, events, and more.

Our August Shared Offering will be split and shared with these two congregations providing Sanctuary as both a safe-haven for victims of injustice and as witness against larger systemic injustices.