Dear Friends,

Here’s an update on Just Neighbors’ latest news as we continue our partnership with the immigrant community of Northern Virginia.

Client Story of the Month

Mary came to our office this month asking for help in applying for a green card.  She is an asylee from Pakistan.  Mary was granted asylum in the United States based on religious persecution; she is a Christian who proudly showed the photos of her baptism to us. 

Mary came to the United States via Saudi Arabia, where she had hip and knee replacement surgeries.  Unfortunately, the surgeries were not done well.  Mary is in pain now, uses a walker, and is scheduled for hip and knee replacement surgeries later this summer.  She had gone to a private law firm for assistance, but was unable to pay the fees when she became too disabled to continue working. 

Mary has an unusual family situation.  Her father had worked for the U.S. Embassy in Pakistan long enough to be granted a special immigrant visa.  This visa permitted him and his wife and children under 21 years of age to come to the United States and live permanently.  But Mary was 21 when her father became eligible for this benefit, and was unable to come with her family.  She is grateful that her father sent her to a Christian school in Pakistan, much to the ire of HIS father, as her conversion eventually led to religious persecution and refuge in the United States with the rest of her family. 

Just Neighbors completed forms for Mary for her green card so she can continue to live in the United States with her family; she looks forward to becoming a citizen in five years.  In the meantime, because she is an asylee she is eligible for some government benefits, including Medicaid. 

Temporary Protected Status
This summer will be a very busy time for Just Neighbors, largely due to an immigration benefit known as TPS that calls for a fast response.  This section explains TPS and how you and others can help Just Neighbors to help Salvadorans renew TPS in July.
Temporary Protected Status (TPS) is a temporary immigration status granted to eligible nationals of designated countries.  The Secretary of Homeland Security may provide TPS to aliens in the United States who are temporarily unable to safely return to their home country because of ongoing armed conflict, the temporary effects of an environmental disaster, or other extraordinary and temporary conditions.  Countries designated for TPS include:  Burundi, El Salvador, Honduras, Liberia, Nicaragua, Somalia, and Sudan.  In 2005, Just Neighbors had 1 TPS client from Liberia, and 143 TPS clients from El Salvador!   

During the period for which a country has been designated under the TPS program, TPS beneficiaries may remain in the United States and may obtain work authorization. However, TPS does not lead to permanent resident status. When the TPS designation of a country is terminated, beneficiaries revert to the same immigration status they maintained before TPS (unless that status had since expired or been terminated) or to any other status they may have acquired while registered for TPS. Accordingly, if an alien had unlawful status prior to receiving TPS and did not obtain any status during the TPS period, the alien reverts to unlawful status upon the termination of that TPS designation.

Once beneficiaries register for TPS, they must re-register every time the Department of Homeland Security re-designates their home country as eligible for TPS.  People who arrive in the United States after the first, initial, TPS registration period are not eligible for TPS.  If beneficiaries neglect to re-register during designated re-registration periods, they lose the TPS status and are unable to regain it.  Last December a new client came to Just Neighbors for assistance; when we asked about his TPS status, he explained that during the last re-registration period he had been battling cancer.  Although he went to an immigration attorney for assistance, he was unable to afford the fees for the attorney and so did not re-register.  There is now no way to help him regain TPS and the employment authorization that comes with that status.

Just Neighbors TPS Clinics
The Department of Homeland Security has extended TPS for El Salvador, and 225,000  TPS beneficiaries nationwide must re-register between July 3 and September 1, 2006.  One of our summer interns, Smith College student Samantha Lyon, will be coordinating our TPS outreach in July.  We have scheduled five clinics in July, and hope that our wonderful volunteers can help us re-register 250 to 300 El Salvadorans!  With a staff of four, those numbers underscore the importance of volunteers to the vitality of our work.

The clinics are scheduled as follows:
• July 9th  (offered jointly with Hogar Hispano, a Catholic Legal Services organization) at St. Anthony’s Catholic Church in Falls Church at 2pm
• July 11th at Arlington office 6pm – 9pm
• July 15th at Floris UMC in Herndon 9am – noon
• July 20th at Herndon 10am - 4pm
• July 26th  6pm to 9pm, place to be determined by need as clients are scheduled

Please contact Rob if you’re interested in volunteering at one of these clinics- no experience necessary!

Around the Office
Check out our new and improved Website (www.justneighbors.org).  The site is now available in Spanish thanks to Maria Trogolo, Jannette Tococari, and Tom Gullo.  Simply click on the Spanish icon to the right to view the Spanish text.  Our site also has new photos of our work, thanks to professional photographer and Just Neighbors volunteer Jim Coates, who attended our May Community Clinic.

Just Neighbors held a Meet and Greet in Herndon, VA this month to spread the word about our services and to celebrate eight years of partnership with Floris United Methodist Church and the Herndon community.  Mary Ann Kral hosted the event at her beautiful lake home, and clients shared stories of Just Neighbors’ impact on their lives.  Just Neighbors would like to thank the following restaurants and stores for their donations at the event: Madina Grocery of Herndon, TurCuisine of Herndon, Trader Joe's of Reston, Harris Teeter of Reston, Giant of Herndon, Safeway of Herndon, and Food Lion of Herndon.

Another reason for the gathering was to recognize Case Manager Libby Fielder for her years of service and commitment to Just Neighbors.  Libby has been vital in our work over the years.  Immigrants throughout the community know to call Libby when they need help.  She regularly goes over and beyond for clients, and Just Neighbors and the immigrants we serve are very fortunate to have Libby.

Volunteer News
Just Neighbors would like to give some long-overdue recognition to Tom Wheeler for his tireless work for Just Neighbors.  He has spent hundreds of hours creating a new client database, updating our computers, addressing server problems, quantifying client information, and much more.  He has also spent many nights in our office rescuing us from computer-related catastrophes!  We are pleased to honor Tom as the Volunteer of the Month and to award him and his wife Sondra, who teaches at Wesley Seminary, with a gift certificate to Lebanese Taverna.  Thank you Tom!

Fundraising News
Just Neighbors has received a grant from Fairfax County, our largest funder, for over $64,000 from July 2006 through June 2007.  This grant, which is an increase over last year’s funding, will support our work with clients as well as our community outreach efforts and involvement of volunteers.

Just Neighbors received a $4,000 grant from the United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) to support our ongoing work with low-income immigrants and refugees.

Immanuel Presbyterian Church in McLean, VA, has made a generous donation of $2,000.  We look forward to partnering more with this active church in the coming months.

Just Neighbors has received $10,000 from Arlington County for July 2006 through June 2007.  It is a testament to the need for immigration legal services and the importance of Just Neighbors’ work that despite budget cuts, Arlington County will generously be contributing to our work this year.

Thank you to everyone who has donated to Just Neighbors in its Spring Campaign.  We have raised nearly $6,000 this spring from individuals and families in Virginia and beyond.  Of course, it’s never too late.  Please consider making a tax-deductible donation via check or online at www.justneighbors.org.  Thank you!

Sincerely,
Rob