Strengthening Sanctuary Alliance Work Groups

 

If you are interested in learning more and would like to contact a work group coordinator, please write to: olympia.sanctuary@gmail.com.

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• Accompaniment Program

  • Organizes and trains volunteers to accompany immigrants to their court dates.

  • Find the Accompaniment Program Manual here.

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• Education

  • Provides tailored presentations and resources to schools and other educational groups working with immigrant youth and families;

  • Collaborates with local school boards, statewide educational organizations and state agencies to impact policies which affect immigrant students;

  • Is available for tabling at events expanding outreach to immigrant families;

  • Coordinates with CIELO and the Know Your Rights group to provide support at related events.

  • Find a summary of the Education Group's Activities, 2017-2019 here.

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• Agricultural Workers Solidarity Work Group

  • Does research to better understand health impacts of COVID-19 affecting agricultural workers. In 2020, we focused on the Yakima Valley, since striking agricultural workers in Yakima brought their concerns about health and safety to public attention;

  • Connects with Yakima Valley community groups to better understand how the agricultural workers' community has been impacted and what forms of support and solidarity are useful;

  • Tracks regional and national initiatives to support agricultural workers, particularly around health and safe working conditions;

  • Provides masks with an emphasis on washable and children's masks to agricultural workers' families through local community organizations;

  • Explores state agencies' responses to agricultural workers' concerns about working conditions, housing, health and environmental challenges of exttreme heat and wildfire smoke;

  • You can find more information about the struggles of agricultural workers here.

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• Know Your Rights and Family Safety Planning

  • Provides KYR and FSP training to immigrant communities and those working to support them.

  • Find information about Know Your Rights here.

 

• Law Enforcement/ICE

  • Learns about local law enforcement agencies’ relationships with ICE; encourages these agencies to adopt policies that provide maximum legal protection for immigrant residents; monitors law enforcement's compliance with the Keep Washington Working Act.  

  • Read the October 2018 article Thurston County Law Enforcement and ICE (in English and Spanish, pages 12-13). 

  • In 2019 the Washington state legislature passed the Keep Washington Working Act which SSA, along with many other organizations, strongly supported. The bill has resulted in changes to policing policies in Thurston County. Find the groups' summary of key provisions of KWW, Section 6, here. 

  • In June 2019, ICE agents arrested a man from El Salvador as he left the Thurston County Courthouse. See SSA's recommendations for policy changes at the courthouse here. 

  • See a summary of King County policies on immigration and arrests, compiled by the Law Enforcement/ICE group, here. 

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• Legislative Policy Work Group

  • Develops working relationships with members and staff of the legislature, the Attorney General's Office, and Office of the Governor in order to be informed of policy developments and influence policy proposals;

  • Works with allies such as AILA-WA (American Immigration Lawyers Association), WAISN (Washington Immigration Solidarity Network), and ACLU; marshals public sentiment on behalf of preferred policies or legislative proposals;

  • Monitors implementation of legislation affecting the immigrant community, and reports on progress, impact, and policy gaps.    

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• Faith Group

  • Participates in the Greater South Sound Network for Immigrant and Refugee Support; supports Sanctuary work in our region;

  • Read about Sanctuary in Olympia here.

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• Fundraising

  • Plans and creates fundraising events

 

• Outreach/Networking/ Program Support

  • Conducts outreach, tables at community events;

  • Engages with other advocacy groups;

  • Has a welcome program, including a personalized orientation and buddy system to support and encourage engagement by new members;

  • Helps to plan agendas for future meetings, speakers and workshops;

 

• Communications

  • Develops and maintains SSA Website and Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/strengtheningsanctuaryalliance/

  • Engages in Public Writing (letters to the newspaper, editorials, website articles)

 

• Administrative Work Group

  • Manages the Google group email;

  • Determines when to forward emails to the larger email list;

  • Provides financial Oversight and fiscal tasks including:

    • Oversight for the finances and treasurer;

    • Reviewing future or retrospective budget requests from work groups and making recommendations to the general membership meetings;

    • Fielding requests for financial disbursement to individuals or groups or making recommendations about disbursements to the general membership meetings;

  • Other administrative tasks, as needed.​​

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