Posts in 'Justice Fund'

HIAS PA’s work is inherently committed to justice for immigrants and promotion of their lawful rights to seek refuge in the US. Our legal work, advocacy, and education efforts all build infrastructure to support immigrants and build foundations for sustainability in the most vulnerable immigrant communities in Montgomery County. We have a robust community of support and share immigrants’ stories of success and just treatment.

The Promotoras model trains community members as grassroots leaders who share information, guide peers, and serve as trusted messengers. Many participants go on to connect others within their networks, expanding access and strengthening community voice. Leadership development is embedded across programs, as members transition from receiving services to becoming advocates and leaders. Promotoras foster peer support, expand access to resources, and provide culturally grounded guidance at community events and service sites.

CCATE's work directly responds to a crisis that is quantifiable, documented, and ongoing. A February 2026 Community Assembly found that Montgomery County immigrant community members report severe disruption to daily routines; immigrant-owned businesses report negative financial impact. Critically, the research also revealed a consistent gap between how allies perceive the community's situation and how the community actually experiences it. Funding will support community assemblies; legal preparation and legal counseling to help families navigate immigration systems, understand their rights, and plan for contingencies — transforming fear into informed agency; Diálogos counters misinformation and builds civic voice by providing verified, bilingual civic information while training community members as journalists and advocates.

We work daily to help the Latinx immigrant community in Montgomery County recognize, claim, and exercise their inherent power. Our commitment to power-building is clearly demonstrated through our community assembly model, which has evolved into a powerful vehicle for collective action. These assemblies exemplify our approach: creating conditions where community members lead their own advocacy while building strategic alliances with decision makers. CCATE's REVARTE media platform directly challenges narratives that diminish immigrant contributions and humanity. When media portrayed colored community negatively, our community journalists produced counter narratives highlighting authentic voices and community resilience. This storytelling isn't merely positive—it's transformative, shifting who controls the narrative about our community from external observers to those with lived experience.

Montgomery County is home to Pennsylvania’s largest Korean American population, and for decades, Korean small business owners have contributed to Montgomery County by running grocery stores, restaurants, dry cleaners, salons, and other businesses that meet every day needs. Woori Center believes that our community’s leadership must come from those who are most impacted by systems of oppression, for their lived experiences can inform the most clairvoyant solutions toward equity. Funding will support a power-building and leadership development initiative: Building a Korean American small business community Rapid Response Network. 

Project Libertad’s work is grounded in the belief that immigrant youth are not only recipients of services, but powerful agents of change. We intentionally integrate power-building, positive storytelling, and leadership development across all programs to ensure participants can both navigate and transform the systems impacting their lives.

This project deepens our approach by equipping stakeholders with the tools to deliver a cohesive, values driven narrative. Through training, coaching, and the culminating Voices of Libertad showcase, participants will transform personal stories into strategic tools that strengthen relationships, mobilize resources, and expand community power. Our integrated model ensures that those most impacted are leading the way in shaping systems and narratives.