RILA Partner: Mother of Light Center
RILA has begun partnering with Mother of Light Center (MOLC) in Alexandria, Virginia. We have referred some of our clients to their services, and MOLC’s Assistant Director Michele Islas has joined RILA’s Volunteer Legal Advocate Program. This program trains committed volunteers like Michele to become Department of Justice accredited representatives who can represent immigrants before United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). She explains more about MOLC’s work in the interview below..
What does Mother of Light Center do?
MOLC is a faith-based, non-profit organization located in the city of Alexandria. We opened our doors just about a year ago. The mission of MOLC is to provide support for both basic needs such as food and clothing as well as spiritual needs to those experiencing homelessness or are otherwise among the most vulnerable living in Alexandria, Arlington and Falls Church. A majority of our clients are immigrant families who are fearful to seek help from government entities.
What are some of the biggest needs and challenges of your clients?The biggest hurdle this community is facing is navigating the immigration system. Most are undocumented without the means to obtain legal help. Without [legal] status, they can not obtain the means they need to care for their families.
What made you decide to join RILA’s Volunteer Legal Advocate program? Helping as a legal advocate gives hope to those who came to the US hopeless and afraid. Without advocates, those we serve will never have the opportunity to obtain legal advice and are in danger of being deported back to countries that they fled from in fear. I am honored to have the opportunity to help them and feel privileged to be working with RILA to make a difference in the lives of this very vulnerable population.
How did you get involved with MOLC?
I actually became involved with MOLC because my 13-year-old daughter met MOLC Director Matilde Alvarado when she presented volunteer opportunities to my daughter’s American Heritage Girls scouting troop. My daughter immediately felt drawn to volunteer and serve with MOLC. Even though I resisted adding one more thing to my plate, I agreed to co-lead with my daughter a program that helps those experiencing homelessness by recycling plastic grocery bags into sleeping mats. This program took off, and soon I was leading groups all over the city. While leading this program, I had the privilege of meeting and working with others who are my neighbors who were also in need. I found that their needs were different; most were immigrants who spoke little to no English and were in need of a friend to help navigate the “systems.” I began a support group for single mothers and their children who meet once a month to provide each other with support. These women quickly became my “hermanas” or sisters.
How has the coronavirus pandemic affected MOLC's work?
Since the COVID-19 outbreak, almost all of our clients are no longer working and will not be eligible for any unemployment benefits or other government assistance due to their immigration status. As an organization, we have seen an increase in demand for basic needs like food and shelter. Typically, MOLC provides groceries weekly to about 45 families. Last week alone MOLC served 188 families. As COVID-19 crisis progresses, we expect to see a continued increase and will need funds to meet this demand. We have just begun raising funds towards an emergency financial assistance program. This new program will be used to help our clients pay for basic needs, such as utilities or rent. We have received calls daily from clients asking for emergency funds to help maintain a healthy and safe home.
How have you seen Mother of Light change people's lives?
MOLC works to create a relationship with each of its clients. These relationships have given us the opportunity to walk alongside each of them as they struggle and as they succeed. I have been privileged to be at the bedside for births, to babysit, to help with moves, and to cheer when work permits arrive.
One of our mothers came to us with her then 4-year-old daughter when we first began a year ago. She had no job, could not speak English, and was pregnant. She first asked for a bed because she and her daughter were sleeping on the floor of a room she was renting. Quickly we began to identify other needs that we could help with — filling out immigration papers, enrolling her daughter in preschool, and navigating medical bills after the birth of her son. My children quickly fell in love with her daughter and later her son, and they often babysit. I began to help her fill out job applications and took her to interviews. She recently began working as a housekeeper at a nearby hotel, and I am proud to say that just 2 weeks ago my family and I helped her to move into her own apartment. My entire family has been a part of her growth and success.
MOLC has changed the lives of my entire family. No longer do my kids think of this work as an “extra” volunteer activity, but instead they know that helping those in need is what living for Christ is. We are called to clothe the naked, feed the hungry and heal the sick. I am proud to say that those who volunteer with Mother of Light Center are the ones whose lives are changed the most because they are choosing to be Christ-like by serving those in need.