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VENTURA, June 13, 2022— 805 UndocuFund is proud to announce that the organization has been awarded a $10,000 grant by the Fund for Santa Barbara to support efforts to advocate for the inclusion of Central Coast undocumented workers in long term local and state disaster relief and recovery policies. Funding will allow 805 Undocufund to build advocacy partnerships and consolidate lessons learned in disaster relief with other local and state grassroots, immigrant-serving organizations that responded to COVID 19, wildfires, and other disasters by distributing one-time emergency cash assistance to undocumented residents affected by crisis and excluded from federal disaster relief and other social safety networks.
“During the past four years of disaster response, we’ve learned the hard lesson that even though we’ve helped thousands when it mattered most, a one-time cash check does not solve the lack of equitable access to resources to recover and rebuild with dignity after crisis,” said Maria Melo, Executive Director of 805 UndocuFund. “Thanks to the Fund for Santa Barbara, 805 UndocuFund will look at what we’ve learned in disaster relief, and more than ever, continue our journey with a mission to fight for policy change.”
The COVID-19 pandemic—and California wildfires— have widely demonstrated how exclusions from federal disaster relief and social safety nets, as well as socio-economic factors such as language barriers, deeply increase the vulnerability of local immigrant communities to disaster. According to the 2021 Regional Central Coast Regional Study, there are more than 90,000 undocumented residents living on the Central Coast of California.
About 805 UndocuFund
Since its creation in 2018, the 805 UndocuFund has fundraised, case-managed and distributed over $8 million to more than 17,000 Central Coast undocumented residents affected by disasters such as the Thomas Fire and Maria/Easy Fires, Montecito Mudslides, as well as COVID-19. During four years of sustained disaster relief work, 805 UndocuFund has also become a trusted and familiar source of information and support for the immigrant community before, during and after disaster hits. Founded and supported by MICOP, CAUSE and Future Leaders of Americas – three trusted grassroot organizations in the immigrant community, 805 UndocuFund is now a 501 c(3) that is proud to mobilize resources when disaster hits the Central Coast region and to advocate for long-term systems change for undocumented communities in disaster. Learn more at 805undocufund.org
To donate to 805UndocuFund and learn more, please visit: 805undocufund.org/donate
