A MESSAGE FROM Michele's 2021 NYC Marathon Fundraising Page!!
I had the remarkable honor of founding UnLocal and leading it from its inception until the middle of 2020 when I stepped down as the Executive Director. I have been thrilled to continue my relationship with UnLocal on its Board of Directors. It has been transformative watching the team and new leadership deepen, strengthen, expand and advance UnLocal's mission. What started as two of us providing legal services and community representation to a handful of individuals and groups in 2012, now is a robust team of 20 staff members, hundreds of partner organizations and has impacted many thousands of immigrant New Yorkers through legal representation, advocacy and innovative community education.
"UnLocal aims to address the fundamental injustices and structural inequities that disproportionately impact immigrant communities. We are a community-centered non-profit organization that provides direct immigration legal representation, community education, outreach, and advocacy for New York’s undocumented immigrants. UnLocal is dedicated to creating sustainable structures that build collective power and allow us to flourish."
Twenty-five years ago, on September 30th 1996, the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996 (IIRIRA) was signed into law. This horrific, racist set of laws has been the cause of mass detention, deportation, and criminalization of immigrant communities, tearing families apart and leaving millions without a path to citizenship.
Every dollar raised, goes directly to UnLocal's critical mission:
"UnLocal aims to address the fundamental injustices and structural inequities that disproportionately impact immigrant communities. We are a community-centered non-profit organization that provides direct immigration legal representation, community education, outreach, and advocacy for New York’s undocumented immigrants. UnLocal is dedicated to creating sustainable structures that build collective power and allow us to flourish."
This year is UnLocal's 5th year partnering with the TSC New York City Marathon and it has been a lifelong dream of mine to run this storied race.
Please follow along with my race updates and follow me on race day!!
Much love,
Michele
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