Dear Friends,

As Thanksgiving winds down, Just Neighbors is grateful that so many of you are supportive of and involved in our work.  We are also thankful to have the chance to meet with clients everyday who show a resilience, patience, and dedication that inspires us.  We trust that as you learn their stories, you will be inspired too.

Client Story
Maria came to Just Neighbors two weeks ago frazzled, in part because she unknowingly made an illegal U-turn trying to find our office and received her first ticket in seven years.  But her more pressing concern related to her ongoing uncertainty about her status with Immigration.  She thought that her U.S. citizen mother had filed a family petition with Immigration for her in 1990, but her mother had not successfully filed the petition until 1998.  The process became complicated several years ago when Maria came to visit her mother here with her young children from Bolivia.  Maria lost her passport at the Miami airport and has documentation to show her extensive efforts to retrieve it; with the passport Maria lost proof that she entered the United States lawfully.

Maria faces many obstacles as she waits to apply for a green card and work permit, which will allow her to gain the income she needs to support her two children and the peace of mind to truly feel settled here.  Friends have pressured Maria to get a fraudulent social security number and try to find work with it, but she has resisted, waiting patiently for her application with Immigration to be processed. 

Upon looking through the numerous written exchanges between Maria’s mother and Immigration, we learned that Maria had just become eligible the previous month to receive her green card- after eight years of waiting in the queue.  Maria didn’t know this because Immigration did not have her correct mailing address.  It is fortunate that Maria happened to come to us for help now, since she only has one year to send in the final application.  When Maria learned that she is nearing the end of her long wait for her green card, tears welled up in her eyes.  “Estoy bien?” she asked excitedly, wanting to make sure she understood us correctly.  “Yes, you’ll be fine,” we said with a smile, “but you still have to pay the traffic ticket.”

Around the Office
Libby Fielder, who has been an integral part of Just Neighbors’ work over the past eight years, will be retiring at the end of the year.  Libby has served as our Case Manager at both the Herndon and Arlington offices and has been invaluable in nearly all facets of our work.  Clients over the years have appreciated her willingness to do whatever is possible to meet their immigration needs and to make them feel at home.  We will truly miss Libby and wish her an enjoyable retirement filled with much volunteering at Just Neighbors!

As Libby prepares to leave, Just Neighbors will be hiring an Immigration Attorney to join our three other staff.  Please click on “Job Opportunities” at www.justneighbors.org to learn more.  We are excited about this opportunity to expand our services.

Volunteer of the Month
The volunteers who support Just Neighbors sometimes surprise us with their capacity to give of themselves.  Lisa Xander, who started volunteering with us several weeks ago, is one such individual.  Lisa experienced a severe brain injury a few years ago that has affected her ability to perform everyday tasks.  Instead of feeling sorry for herself, Lisa has given hours of her time and energy in our Herndon office to affix mailing labels for our annual campaign, which many of you will be receiving next week.  Lisa sometimes has to wait over an hour outside her house for her ride to our office at Floris United Methodist Church, yet she always arrives with a sense of humor and cheerful willingness to help.  For donating her time and energy in a way few of us do, Just Neighbors honors Lisa with a donated gift certificate to Lebanese Taverna.

Holiday Giving
This holiday season, consider giving a gift to Just Neighbors in honor of a loved one.  We will send that individual a personalized card explaining that you have given in their behalf and why this gift matters.  Volunteer Jim Coates donated the stunning photo on the card, and volunteer Carroll Saussy artfully designed the card.   Thank you for thinking of us during the holidays.

We are thrilled to have received two separate individual donations of $5,000 within the last ten days!  What a great way to kick off our 10th annual campaign!

Sincerely,

Rob Rutland-Brown
Executive Director