Outreach to Unaccompanied Minor Children – We need your help!

Presbytery of the Pacific, in partnership with Presbyterian Disaster Assistance and CLUE-LA, has developed an unprecedented city-wide interfaith and interagency coalition to respond to unaccompanied minor children (ages 7-17 years) who have been placed in Los Angeles by the Office of Refugee Resettlement. These children are fleeing extreme violence in their home countries and now face a life of emotional and economic hardship, bewildering court proceedings, and entirely new environment that they’re not prepared for. They are the poorest of the poor in our midst.

You and your church help can make the difference in building a better future for these kids! Along with the most basic essentials, these children and their families are in need of loving people to provide personal support in their new life situations. Across the city we are conducting both a drive for basic necessities and a call for volunteers to reach out to these children.

We are particularly in need of the following:

  • Grocery Store gift cards ($25 amounts ONLY)
  • Public Transportation: Metro Bus Tokens
  • Granola Bars, Juice Boxes, and other easy-to-distribute food items
  • Pre-paid Phone Cards ($10 amounts ONLY)
  • Toys, Coloring books
  • Hygiene kits (toothbrush, deodorant, toothpaste, soap, shampoo)
  • Sports Equipment (soccer balls, basketballs)

The Presbytery will collect these items through May 31, 2015. If you are interested in promoting a drive at your church, THANK YOU! Please contact Rev. Heidi Worthen Gamble, Mission Catalyst for Pacific Presbytery, for more information and for drop-off locations: 310.904.8311 mobile.

Also needed: Volunteers to go to court who are free during the weekdays to witness the court proceedings and connect with children and their families through our Guardian Angels Program, as well as licensed attorneys of any kind who could volunteer approx. 5-10 hours per case to represent the children’s “guardian at litem” in court. Please contact Rev. Heidi to volunteer, 310.904.8311.

OTHER LINKS:
Article on Migrant Children without legal representation