As we approach the end of another year, we are eager to welcome the one with a sense of renewal. Many of us are exhausted with the pandemic and all its negative effects—on our communities, our work, and our general stability. However, let’s remember that as we tread forward in time, we walk down our paths together as a community. It’s important to go forth constructively with validation and compassion. Times are tough, and it’s helpful to affirm the experiences of our neighbors who’ve faced challenges and instability during 2021.
In 2021, members of our community faced food insecurity, financial barriers, housing crises, and other commanding hurdles. We’re always here, with our sleeves rolled up, digging into these significant issues. From distributing emergency cash assistance to our food pantry services, we’ve adapted our services to meet these demands since March 2020.
By creating an emergency fund for families who did not qualify for government stimulus, $400,000 of direct cash-relief was distributed to 445 families.
By expanding our food pantry, 90,000 meals and 23,600lbs of pet food were distributed.
By providing free legal, development, organizing, and weatherization assistance, 2,096 housing cases were handled and nearly 1,000 evictions were prevented. Including the weatherization of 553 units across 10 buildings.
By committing to our Domestic Violence Project, 485 survivors of domestic abuse received legal and holistic support.
By facilitating a vaccine call-center, 25,000 COVID-19 vaccine appointments were made in four months.
By placing 102 residents in higher-paying and stable jobs, upgrading 9 classrooms with online learning capabilities, and engaging 405 community members to our English or Adult Education classes we supported both youth and adults.
By handling 5,385 immigration legal issues and filing 934 applications for citizenship.
By filing 1,585 tax returns, serving over 1,400 filers, receiving a total of almost $2.2 million.
We are very grateful for your support, without which none of these accomplishments would have been possible. We hope to celebrate our recent accomplishments, juntos, in person in the months to come. The festivities will recognize how special this past year was because your support proved to us that together we build without limits.
On behalf of our community at NMIC, we wish you a happy and healthy new year.
Yours in Solidarity,
NMIC
