Dear friends and neighbors,

We hope you are well and keeping safe.

The world has been in lockdown. Yet April 2020 was our busiest month so far, with more volunteers and resources devoted to aiding our immigrant friends than ever before.

Covid-19 has disrupted society’s routines. For immigrants, the disruption has been magnified. Many low-paying jobs have disappeared, leaving families with no income and no savings, while the rent is still due, utility bills are still coming in, prices are rising for basic goods, and health insurance remains as unattainable as ever.

Most immigrant workers are not covered by unemployment insurance, and most are left out of the emergency assistance hastily voted by Congress and the state government.

If they are still working (because America has just discovered that they are “essential”), they don’t get to work at home, where their children are sheltering, now that schools and most day-care centers have closed. They may have to move about without protective gear and risk getting the virus at rates far beyond their share of the population.

We set our goals in April to offset these terrible odds for Ulster immigrants. We are enormously grateful to the volunteers and donors who rose in record numbers to meet the challenge. This is a good moment to reflect on what went well and what needs doing in the months ahead.

This issue of the the newsletters includes details on how we’ve attempted to meet these needs and an overview of challenges yet to come.

To support our volunteers, donate here.

To roll up your own sleeves, fill out our volunteer application form here.