As Christians we are called to a vision of the beloved community where all are welcome and there are no divisions. Our historical and personal narratives include being sojourners in new lands and being reliant on the welcome of strangers.
 
On the upcoming ballot, Measure 105 would repeal Oregon's sanctuary law. The sanctuary law limits the use of state/local law enforcement resources to enforce immigration law. This law was passed 30 years ago in 1987 by all but two legislators in response to patterns of profiling of Latino people. Nearly 175 cities, counties and states followed Oregon’s lead and passed similar laws.
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As mentioned in MCC's January 2017 statement on Welcoming Immigrants and Refugees as Neighbors, sanctuary laws are common “....precisely because law enforcement officials understand that mixing local policing and immigrant enforcement makes communities less safe by causing immigrants to fear reporting crimes to police.”
 
Stand up for our neighbors by voting NO on 105.

HOW CAN YOU BE INVOLVED?
​Financial and in-kind donations are needed to provide items for specific clients of Immigration Counseling Service, a local organization that offers legal and social services to immigrant victims of crime.  

The needs range from Tri-Met tickets, to pre-paid cell phones, to funding for medical exams required for immigration petitions (more info on Below).  Please see the display in the back of the church for more information about how you can contribute, and contact any member of the Radical Hospitality Team with questions.  In-kind donations will be collected through March 29 (in the Old Chapel, or directly to a Team member if you would like a receipt). Financial contributions can be made through the offering (designate the gift for ‘Radical Hospitality’). 


Your Financial Gifts will provide a year of support for the following:

• 50 all-day TriMet tickets
• 30  Grocery gift cards of $25 each: Safeway, Winco, and Walmart (a mix, since people have access to different ones depending on where they live).
• 10 Knapsacks with shampoo, conditioner, deodorant, razor, soap, toothpaste, toothbrush, feminine hygiene items (optional), towel.  
• 6 Passport photos ($10 each)
• 5 sets of additional hygiene items - shampoo, conditioner, deodorant, razor, soap, toothpaste, toothbrush, feminine hygiene
• 4 prepaid cell phones with minutes (approximately $40 each); additional prepaid minutes 
• 3 Medical examinations (required for immigration petitions) at $300 each, or Subsidy of any amount
• 2 Psychological evaluations $250 to $500, or Subsidy for psychological evaluation of any amount (forensic evaluation needed to substantiate victimization claim)
• 1 Interpreter for language other than Spanish:  subsidy of any amount

You may also donate the following items directly (in-kind):

• All-day TriMet tickets
• Grocery gift cards of $25 each: Safeway, Winco, and Walmart 
• Assembled school size backpacks with shampoo, conditioner, deodorant, razor, soap, toothpaste, toothbrush, feminine hygiene items (optional), towel.  
• Additional hygiene items - shampoo, conditioner, deodorant, razor, soap, toothpaste, toothbrush, feminine hygiene

Please speak to a team member if you can provide the following:

• Life Skills mentoring for homeless youth (Spanish speaking)
• Short-term emergency housing (needed about 3 times per year)

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The ACLU of Oregon Mobile Justice smartphone app was created to empower individuals to hold Oregon law enforcement agencies accountable for their actions.
The updated app records both audio and video and also now saves a copy of the video to your device.

It has four main features:
RECORD - allows individuals to capture exchanges between police officers and themselves or other community members in video files that are automatically emailed to the ACLU of Oregon. 

WITNESS - gives individuals the option to alert nearby Mobile Justice App users when they are stopped by police in order to  witness and document the interaction. 

REPORT - gives individuals the option to provide a more-detailed account of their interactions with police in an incident report, which will be transmitted directly to the ACLU of Oregon.
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KNOW YOUR RIGHTS - provides an overview of your rights in Oregon when encountering law enforcement.