UUFSMA: “Reintegration and Community”

Unitarian Universalist Fellowship Online Service

“Reintegration and Community”
Speaker: Samantha Silva

Sunday, July 18, 2021
10:30 am

Zoom link: https://zoom.us/j/414604040 

Password: 294513

By Joseph Plummer

UUFSMA Board Secretary

In this Sunday’s UUFSMA online service, Guest Speaker Samantha Silva, Executive Director of Caminamos Juntos (CJ), will share the story of an organization striving to make community integration successful for Mexicans affected by deportation after years living in the United States. The stories of two participants will highlight her presentation.

Founded by a diverse group of San Miguelenses, including many UUFSMA members, CJ fosters a welcoming community and empowers participants to live in dignity and safety — no matter their skin color, sexual preferences, or personal beliefs. Over the past three years the CJ community has actively supported its members by seeking material support for new families, promoting each other’s businesses, sharing employment opportunities, and spending time together. Family-driven and trauma-informed, CJ’s approach helps participants optimize personal, social, and vocational competencies. As an outcome, its families grow closer together and establish themselves in San Miguel de Allende.

“Despite the ever-changing context of immigration, it has been immensely satisfying to be part of a worldwide movement of organizations, individuals, and groups that acknowledge unfair global systems and the urgent need for change,” Silva says.

CJ approaches social reintegration as not only access to basic services but also a transition that allows its participants to thrive. This includes helping participants to prepare themselves for educational, employment, and other social opportunities and then often accompanying them as they introduce themselves at schools, job interviews, and other important meetings in their transitions. CJ’s mission requires empathy, unity, and partnership. Its culture fosters mutual respect, trust, inclusion, and honesty among participants, volunteers, and coworkers.

Born in Acapulco, Silva has lived in San Miguel for ten years. At Caminamos Juntos she promotes interdependence, mutual responsibility, and a collective consciousness that makes reintegration possible for people affected by deportation. In addition to her work at Caminamos Juntos, she has volunteered with Ser Mujer and Colectivo 41 and advocates for the LGBTQ community. Working in these different settings, she has discovered a community that feels like a supportive ­human family offering access to resources that should be available for all.

To participate in our online Sunday Service, visit the Fellowship’s website at www.uufsma.org and click on the Zoom Service button displayed on the home page. If requested, enter password: 294513. Sign-in from anywhere Sunday mornings between 10:15-10:25 am CST.

Through grants and awards, UUFSMA donates at least fifty percent of its income to support nonprofit organizations that provide health, educational, and environmental services for underserved communities in the San Miguel region. Please support this work by clicking on the website home page Donate button. Now more than ever, your support is essential.

Due to the coronavirus, UUFSMA has suspended in-person Sunday services and other gatherings. A growing collection of previous online services can be found on the UUFSMA’s YouTube channel. Go to https://www.youtube.com/ and enter UUFSMA in the search box. The UU Fellowship welcomes people of all ages, races, religions, sexual orientation, and gender identity.