Syracuse, N.Y. (NCC News) – The Covid 19 pandemic is shining a light on the struggles of marginalized populations.
Immigrant communities, in particular, are struggling to find the resources they need to survive through periods of quarantine and unemployment. The Coalition for Immigrant Freedom, a New York-based non-profit organization, is taking on the strenuous task of serving these communities amidst the pandemic.
Founded in 1982, the organization provides services such as education and literacy classes, family reunification, legal counseling, and much more. Executive director Alba Lucero Villa says the coalition’s normal areas of emphasis have been limited as communities fight to make ends meet.
“That shifted to people not having an ability to meet their basic needs, and so it’s hard to really focus on bigger, long-term issues when you don’t know how you’re gonna put food on the table next week,” Villa said.
The coalition works to provide these services to immigrant communities on a yearly basis. Villa says the lack of funding from the federal government in these areas means more organizations like hers must step up.
“That honestly just perpetuates the cycle of poverty and lack of resources for communities of color,” she said. “Until that changes, I think more foundations need to step in and provide the support we need to respond to the community.”
According to Villa, the demand from communities is almost always greater than what the coalition can service. Despite this, the coalition has been deemed essential and has maintained operations throughout the pandemic.
