Things Feel Different

Hi everyone. Things feel different lately.

ICE is not in the headlines the way it was during the surge, and there has been some drawdown. There are fewer officers than at the peak. But ICE is still present in our area. Activity is still happening. Patrollers are still watching over neighborhoods. Families still do not know if their community could be targeted on any given day.

Because of that, the fear has not disappeared.

Many families are still afraid to leave their homes. Some who stayed home during the height of enforcement lost jobs and are now trying to find work again. Others are searching carefully for workplaces where they feel safe enough to show up. There is rebuilding happening, but we have not even fully processed the original trauma of constant enforcement presence.

This is the phase of mutual aid that matters just as much as the emergency moment. Not when it is dominating the news cycle, but when the cameras leave and families are still quietly trying to recover.

I am receiving more requests for rent support. I do not currently have the capacity to take on direct rent assistance, but I am helping families fill out applications and connect with other rental assistance programs and resources.

What we can realistically step in and help with right now is food and essential items.

As the news cycle has quieted, so has some of the giving. Food pantries that have been supporting these communities, including La Viña and others, are receiving less support than they were a few months ago. Many families rely on those resources, and when shelves thin out, the gap becomes real.

I reached out to some of the communities we have supported before to ask what would be most helpful right now. While some pantry basics are available, there are still specific, culturally relevant foods and essential items that are difficult to access.

I have attached a mutual aid donation list for two of the parks, and I am waiting on a list from a third community. If shopping for specific items is not convenient, I will also be supplementing gaps in the lists directly. You are welcome to contribute through Venmo at @Taylor-Durry if that is easier. Any funds received will go toward purchasing the requested items and supporting these communities.

The need has not disappeared just because coverage has slowed. Families are still navigating fear while trying to move forward.

If we are able to show up again in this way, I would love to help meet these lists.

And as always, if you know of anyone who needs support, please reach out. We will do our best to connect them with help.

Thank you for continuing to care.

- Taylor

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