We stand in solidarity with the Latino immigrant community by serving in three specific areas of ministry:
Human Rights. Community Engagement.
We demonstrate the love of God towards immigrants by defending their rights, by meeting their social, emotional, physical, and spiritual needs, and by strengthening community engagement. LUCHA Ministries engages in activities and events aimed at encouraging leaders and decision-makers to defend the rights of immigrants and their families. LUCHA Ministries seeks to clarify the needs and challenges
We demonstrate the love of God towards immigrants by defending their rights, by meeting their social, emotional, physical, and spiritual needs, and by strengthening community engagement. LUCHA Ministries engages in activities and events aimed at encouraging leaders and decision-makers to defend the rights of immigrants and their families. LUCHA Ministries seeks to clarify the needs and challenges
Operating as usual
Join us in congratulating Britney Corral in receiving our VALE Girl Scout Scholarship!
Thank you for you continual support to our Organization.
Read more about in The Free Lance-Star Newspaper article.
https://fredericksburg.com/lifestyles/announcements/scholarship-lucha-ministries-recognizes-girl-scout-britney-corral/article_2e2b21d3-c1ab-57ce-b066-14fdad5292fe.html
Happy New Year 2022!!!
¡¡¡Feliz Año Nuevo 2022!!! - https://mailchi.mp/b049c98d33e3/givingtuesday-join-lucha-today-and-give-8610117
LUCHA Ministries, Inc. added a button to help you learn more about them.
LUCHA Ministries, Inc. added a button to help you learn more about them.
TODAY is , Join LUCHA Ministries, help us continue the work with the Latino Immigrants in our community, and be a part of our wonderful family.
Directly via Paypal: https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=8WSEV3C2P22VA
Today is . Remember LUCHA Ministries as you shop for the Holidays. Did you know that you can help LUCHA while you shop on AmazonSmile? Do your regular shopping, and AmazonSmile will donate a portion of the eligible purchase price to our organization.
1. Visit smile.amazon.com
2. Sign in with the same account you use for Amazon.com
3. Select LUCHA Ministries, Inc. as your charity of choice.
4. Start shopping, and AmazonSmile will give!
🦃HAPPY THANKSGIVING!! 🍂--- We thank you for your continued support --- 'Tis the season of giving!🤲
LUCHA’s Cinco Panes Initiative is a Food Pantry distribution ministry that provides culturally appropriate foods (rice, dry black, red, or pinto beans, Maseca, fresh fruits and vegetables) to the most vulnerable immigrant families. Cinco Panes is managed by a team of 15 to 20 committed Spanish-speaking volunteers who understand the Latino culture and get to know our clients on a personal basis. They understand the unique needs and food preferences of our clients, and prepare food boxes appropriate for a client's specific circumstances.
We ask that during this season of giving, you remember immigrant families in need, and join our LUCHA family. Your financial support and donations will allow us to continue to reach those most vulnerable and even expand our outreach to more needy families within our community.
Donate online today via Paypal (https://www.paypal.com/fundraiser/hub) or send us a check (P. O. Box 8239 Fredericksburg, VA 22404).
To become a legal immigrant of the United States is not only a long and tedious process, but also an expensive one. People in these legal processes can spend thousands of dollars year after year, in hopes that they may get a step closer to having some type of legal status in the US.
LUCHA’s Immigration Legal Services provides low bono services as a DOJ-Recognized Organization. Services include Naturalization, Lawful Permanent Residency (LPR), Adjustment of Status, Work Permits, DACA (initial and renewal), and immigration consultation.
With your financial support we can continue to keep low costs or even waive some of the charges for our low-income clients.
Donate online today via Paypal (https://www.paypal.com/fundraiser/hub) or send us a check (P. O. Box 8239 Fredericksburg, VA 22404).
is only 7 days away! This year we would like to raise $15,000 to help continue our mission of demonstrating God’s love towards immigrants in our community.
LUCHA Ministries is based on three areas of focus; Human Needs, Community Programing & Outreach, and Immigration Legal Services for low-income families. With your help, we can reach our goal to provide $5,000 for each of these areas.
Below are 5 ways on how you can join our cause and be a part of our LUCHA family.
5 ways to join our LUCHA family:
1- Like & follow our page so you can receive the latest LUCHA announcements. SHARE, SHARE our news with your friends.
2- Visit our https://luchaministries.org page to learn more about us and our initiatives.
3- Donate online via Paypal (https://www.paypal.com/fundraiser/hub) or send us a check (P. O. Box 8239 Fredericksburg, VA 22404).
4- Donate to our Food Pantry (rice, dry black, red, or pinto beans, Maseca) or gift cards to local supermarkets.
5- Join our list of volunteers https://forms.gle/dDT3H8ScNamWVVrr5
📣📣ANNOUNCING A NEW EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR‼️
After many months of consideration and planning, LUCHA Ministries' Board of Directors has made a change. Katherine Jimenez has assumed the role of Executive Director as of October 13th, 2021.
I (Sue) will transition into simply being a CBF Field Personnel ("missionary") and continuing with many of the social ministries that I've been doing over the years. I will also work with LUCHA, but in a different role. Greg is not making any changes.
Greg and I are extremely excited to see Kathy come on board. It is the answer to prayers for the future of the organization. As we prepare for an eventual retirement (a few years from now -- we're not there yet!!), this places LUCHA in the hands of someone with the potential to take it into a new generation of mission and ministry -- exactly what we envisioned as founders in back in 2004!
“I used to believe that prayer changes things. But now I know that prayer changes us, and we change things.” -- Mother Teresa
May God use this liturgy to change our hearts and guide us to sacrificially serve the most vulnerable among us.
Environmental stressors are a key factor in migration and displacement. Weather patterns have changed, and extreme weather, increasingly strong hurricanes, floods and drought are becoming more frequent and devastating the agricultural industry in Central America and Mexico.
https://goodfaithmedia.org/poverty-migration-increasingly-driven-by-climate-change/
"We are Latino every day. We're here every day. Our communities exist every day. We care about our jobs and education every single day...We are a really important part of what it means to be American." says Dr. Geraldo Cadava of Northwestern University.
"I'm waiting for this moment when Americans broadly come to think of Latino history as American history at large, and therefore every day becomes a celebration of Latino history because that is American history."
May we recognize more and more how much people from groups who were historically discriminated against have contributed to our nation.
DACA is one of the reasons we began our legal services program, when we thought we’d be helping many Dreamers. We’re still hopeful…and we still offer DACA assistance. Take a look at this article by LUCHA founder, Greg Smith.
The mid-July Texas court ruling on DACA stunned DACA applicants and advocates. Here are five actions people of faith can take to advocate for immigrants.
Lucretia* and her 8-year-old daughter, Rosmeri,* loved their homeland of Guatemala, but the failing economy forced them to leave.
Life has become intolerable for many indigenous peoples in the Guatemalan highlands as changing weather patterns have led to crop failures and farming families have been pushed deeper into poverty and desperation.
“We tried to stay in my country,” said Lucretia. “I moved from my village to [Guatemala City] to find work, but there were no jobs there, either.”
Language, culture, and discrimination against indigenous peoples make finding jobs even more difficult. Like Lucretia, many migrants seek options in Guatemala or Mexico before making the dangerous journey to the U.S.
If you were Lucretia, what would you do?
*Name has been changed.
Abdullah Rahmani is an Afghan man who was forced to flee for his life, only to end up in Greece's infamous Moria refugee camp on the island of Lesvos. Like many refugees, he had to stay in the unsafe camp under intolerable living conditions while waiting for permission to continue on his journey, never knowing how long that process might take.
But despite his grim circumstances, he still finds hope. Abdullah was able to gain access to art training and classes through The Hope Project, where he created this work.
May all refugees stranded in despair during their long journeys find the peace and freedom that Abdullah conveys here.
Got any books lying around the house collecting dust? Let's put them to good use during this "Back to School" season!
In Fort Worth, TX, four churches collected and catalogued over 2,000 books to create Hope Library—a small community library designed to empower refugee and immigrant children and families as they master English together.
Donate your unused books to local schools and organizations empowering ESL learners. Start your own "Little Free Library." Or volunteer to read with ESL learners at a local school.
MYTH: Immigrants don't want to learn English.
TRUTH: Most immigrants want to learn English but it's not always a question of wanting to learn.
It can be very difficult to find affordable and accessible English classes. And the few free government-sponsored programs usually have long waiting lists.
Even when classes are available, immigrants often have to choose between class and work—many are working two or three jobs. They might also lack transportation or childcare.
What will you be doing on this day in 2044?
If you're a U.S. citizen petitioning for your adult Mexican sibling to come to this country today, that's when you can expect their Visa. That's how “easy” it is to come to the U.S.
C.S. Lewis nos enseñó que "la verdadera humildad no es pensar menos en uno mismo, sino pensar menos en uno mismo".
Entonces, la humildad cultural es nuestra capacidad para reflexionar sobre la existencia de diferencias e impactos culturales en los grupos marginados con el objetivo de construir relaciones, según Kerry Fisher de la Universidad de Baylor.
Con humildad cultural, podemos poner en práctica las palabras de C.S. Lewis conociéndonos intencionalmente más profundamente mientras pensamos en los demás con más frecuencia.
This is Rosalie and she is a refugee. But she is so much more than that, too.
Stuck at a refugee camp for 12 years after fleeing conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Rosalie's education was put on hold as a teenager.
After arriving in the United States, Rosalie was able to learn English, attend college, and obtain a master’s degree in social work.
Now working in health and hospital social work, Rosalie seeks "to help people get the resources they need to succeed in life and overcome all the obstacles they're facing."
Supporting immigrant-owned businesses is more important now than ever.
While immigrants are twice as likely to start businesses as those born in the US and generate at least $1 trillion in annual sales revenue, minority- and immigrant-owned businesses have also been hit the hardest by the economic consequences of the pandemic.
Buying from these businesses not only supports the families who own them in this difficult time, but helps lift up their entire community.
Looking at refugees, but seeing Jesus
By Elket Rodríguez “Look at me,” Jesus whispered every day as I participated in a recent tour of Fellowship Southwest’s immigrant relief network. Many times, I saw him on the U.S.-Mexico border. I …
Immigrants In The Essential Workforce
Immigrants are playing an essential role in the COVID-19 pandemic. They are represented in a broad range of sectors, and are essential to our economy with or without a crisis. Source materials: Overall: U.S. Census Bureau, https://www.census.gov/data/tables/2014/demo/foreign-born/cps-2014.html Agric...
May we hear the words of Bishop Curry and work to make it so.
Warsan Shire—a Somali British writer, poet, editor and teacher—wrote “Home” to reflect the experience of those who are forced to leave their homes around the world.
Home
no one leaves home unless
home is the mouth of a shark
you only run for the border
when you see the whole city running as well
your neighbors running faster than you
breath bloody in their throats
the boy you went to school with
who kissed you dizzy behind the old tin factory
is holding a gun bigger than his body
you only leave home
when home won’t let you stay.
no one leaves home unless home chases you
fire under feet
hot blood in your belly
it’s not something you ever thought of doing
until the blade burnt threats into
your neck
and even then you carried the anthem under
your breath
only tearing up your passport in an airport toilet
sobbing as each mouthful of paper
made it clear that you wouldn’t be going back.
(...)
no one leaves home until home is a sweaty voice in your ear
saying-
leave,
run away from me now
i dont know what i’ve become
but i know that anywhere
is safer than here
"Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was, and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it." Yesterday we celebrated the life of Marvin Srivastava, long-time board member, program director, and volunteer with LUCHA Ministries. We traveled as a group to Shenandoah National Park to honor her memory and scatter her ashes in the mountains that she loved. We are forever grateful for the influence Marvin has had on our organization, for her passion and love for her ESOL students, and for the privilege of calling her friend and colleague.
https://www.dignitymemorial.com/obituaries/fredericksburg-va/marvin-srivastava-10210287
Celebrate the life of Marvin Srivastava, leave a kind word or memory and get funeral service information care of Mullins & Thompson Funeral Service.
LUCHA Ministries, Inc. updated their information in their About section.
LUCHA Ministries, Inc. updated their website address.
Ever wonder, really, what you can do to help migrants? Those seeking asylum? Refugees? Please take a look at this article. Education, awareness, and advocacy on their behalf.
While the Universal Declaration of Human Rights says people have the right to flee their country to seek a safe place to live, it also means countries like the US have the responsibility to accept them. Here are 4 ways you can help.
During this time of giving, won't you consider a donation to LUCHA Ministries for ? https://www.paypal.com/donate?hosted_button_id=TS8BMXYRJYNNW
We’re very thankful for our community partners! Through Cinco Panes, our food pantry, we focus on those with the most need, providing basic healthy, nutritious foods. Couldn’t do it without great volunteers and partners!
Quisiera compartir ese guia devocional, "Finding Hope, Enduring Hunger on Both Sides of the Border: A Bilingual Latino Devotional". Nos invita a reflexionar bíblicamente sobre la interconexión del hambre, la desnutrición y el cambio climático, problemas que impactan negativamente a las comunidades latinas en los Estados Unidos e impulsan la migración al extranjero. This resource invites us to reflect biblically on the interconnectedness of hunger, malnutrition, and climate change, issues that negatively impact Latino communities in the US and drive migration abroad. https://www.paperturn-view.com/?pid=MTE112594&v=1.1
Finding Hope, Ending Hunger on Both Sides of the Border A Bilingual Latino Devotional Foreword by Dr. Justo L. González
400 Chatham Square Office Park
Fredericksburg, VA
22405
LUCHA Ministries is a 501(c)3 organization classified as a public charity, with the purpose of providing and facilitating access in Spanish to services for the Latino immigrant community
Immigration Legal Services
Food Pantry and Volunteer opportunities
Project Adelante! Empowerment and Leadership
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Fredericksburg Sickle Cell Association
Chatham Heights RoadGeorge Washington Regional Bicycle and Pedest
Princess Anne StreetThe Community Foundation of the Rappahannock
Jackson StreetFredericksburg Health Department
Jackson StreetRappahannock Area Community Services Board
Jackson StreetLoisann's Hope House in Fredericksburg, VA
Lafayette BoulevardHealthy Generations Rappahannock Area Agency
Lendall Lane
Greater Fredericksburg Habitat for Humanity
Plank Road
Brain Injury Services: Fredericksburg Communi
Maple Grove Drive
Smart Beginnings Rappahannock Area
Olde Greenwich Drive
The Community Foundation of the Rappahannock
Jackson Street
Loisann's Hope House in Fredericksburg, VA
Lafayette Boulevard
George Washington Regional Bicycle and Pedest
Princess Anne Street