At first, I ignored it.

There are too many ‘big’ things happening every day and I figured it was being blown out of proportion and would get resolved on its own.

Then, I continued to ignore it.

I couldn’t stand to think of children being taken away from their moms.

Finally, I made a decision to turn toward it: Children are being taken from their parents at the border. I listened, I read, and I cried.

My daughter, Kenna, is 22 months old and like every mother I know, I would be beyond devastated if she were taken in one direction and I had to go in another. Imagining her cries turning into sobs and not being able to hold her breaks my heart.

Kenna holding my hand while I got my hair cut. At this age, she wants to be right next to me at all times. Imagine being separated from this face.

When I learned that the practice of separating families at the border had ended, I was relieved, but my relief was temporary. I began hearing reports of the challenges and lack of process to reunite the mothers, fathers, sons, and daughters. I now think of the fathers who were deported back to Honduras without their sons. The fathers who are not only living in a country they recently fled from in desperation, but now they are living there without their son, without their daughter.

Imagine: no money, no English, no legal connections – no daughter. All you have is the story of the last few minutes before your child was taken.

Now imagine that there’s another way. Imagine that there are people fighting for these families and every family who seeks refuge in our country. And imagine that you are one of them, and it’s time to get to work.

We are gathering on July 25th in partnership with Same Side to advocate for DACA and comprehensive immigration reform. If you don’t know Same Side – you need to. They create Purposeful Experiences for Political Change. Together, we will be signing postcards and doing text message advocacy between a 3-course meal provided by a local immigrant-owned restaurant.

Whether you’ve been on the front lines for years (thank you, by the way), or you’ve been like me, trying to ignore this issue, we invite you to join us now, as we advocate for the children who still await the peace and prosperity their parents imagined for them.

Tickets are available here. We will sell out at 40 spots!