While it is critically important to address the multifaceted immigration crisis among those who are stateside, Urban Strategies focuses on addressing some of the systemic causes at the grass-roots level in the immigrants’ native countries -- El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras. Our focus is to make meaningful progress through the following four strategies designed to prevent children and families from having to make difficult and traumatic decisions of survival. 

Juntos Podemos supports the following work in the Northern Triangle:

- Building congregational capacity

- Building the capacity of youth

- Creating jobs

- Supporting educational advancement 

Replicating our 2014-2015 efforts that provided more than 4,000 days of “full-service” residential services for unaccompanied children and youth, we are working with community and faith-based organizations throughout the United States to mobilize shelter and foster home-based care for vulnerable children. Our services are hosted at partnering congregations who have given themselves to serving the most marginalized and vulnerable among us. As we work together, our mission is to provide quality, transformative care in a loving and supporting environment. Our efforts across six states are focused on bolstering shelter services to accommodate nearly 1,000 children.

Hurricane Maria was “the fifth strongest hurricane to hit the United States” and was Puerto Rico’s largest natural disaster in over a century. Maria left a trail of devastation across Puerto Rico, leaving thousands of families homeless and more than 15,000 people are in temporary shelters, the entire power grid is offline, cellular communications are scarce and over 70% of the island is without water service. Hospitals are running low on medical supplies. Emergency relief and the long-term recovery efforts will take months, and in some areas, years.

 As a result, thousands of families are choosing to leave everything and move to the mainland.  Due to the large Puerto Rican community in Florida, families are showing up at Florida airports with only a small suitcase of personal items and no place to go.  Support is also needed for these evacuees as they seek to relocate for the time being among our Florida communities.

On June 3, Guatemala suffered a natural catastrophe that has affected thousands of people in the mountainous area. The VOLCAN DE FUEGO exploded, throwing hot material that contained mud, lava and water. More than 65 people have died and thousands have been evacuated from their homes. Funds given for Guatemala will be provided to vetted, local congregations who are closest to the need andareproviding supportto the families that have been affected.