Somerville, Mass. – Raising handmade signs, waving “No Kings” flags, and playing brass instruments, hundreds of Somerville residents marched across Broadway, sending a message of solidarity and support to immigrant neighbors.
The march illustrated a new, but welcomed, problem for immigrant-serving organizations in Somerville: how best to put a new wave of eager volunteers to work.
“It’s a good problem to have, but trying to figure out how to get all of them involved” has been challenging, said Executive Director of the Welcome Project, Sara Kirubi.
She noted that in 2024 they had a total of 99 volunteer applications, and this year, they received 179 applications by October.
Other organizations in the city are reporting similar changes.
Both Connexion and the Welcome Project saw the number of volunteer applications roughly double compared to last year. Some of those new applications came from people living outside Somerville, in nearby areas like Medford and Cambridge.
East Somerville Main Streets is using the growing interest to direct patrons to local immigrant-owned businesses, stimulating the local economy.
At the Welcome Project, Kirubi mentioned that the increased support has helped them navigate funding cuts.
“The federal funding landscape has been decimated,” she said in a previous interview.
“At the same time, I think a lot of private foundations have stepped up and tried to fill those gaps.” She said, “People are increasing their donations, even their small donations,” and “we’re seeing new donors come into our system.”
She added, “Even $50 or $100 makes a big difference for us when all of that is added up, and we are seeing individuals really step up.”
Reverend Jordan Harris of Connexion said the surge of volunteers allowed him to give long-time helpers a break, especially those who have worked in programs like the Come to the Table Community Meal.
Lately, he said, he’s seen anywhere from 13 to 15 volunteers showing up for the Wednesday community meals. Typically, they only need five to seven volunteers to staff the meal.
He explained that he must consider longevity when directing newcomers and what impacts it may have for Connexion in the future.
“I always have to be thinking about sustainability,” he said. “One of the things I’m working hard to do with our regular volunteers is invite them to move aside and rest, take a break.”
But, he mentioned, making schedule changes for reliable, consistent volunteers does present some long-term risks.
“You also don’t want to lose that time slot,” he said. “You don’t want to lose them as volunteers. It’s definitely a bit of a balancing act because who knows, when this current season passes, if those new volunteers are going to continue to show up?”
He said people who want to help can make a bigger difference by going beyond just applying to be a volunteer. Finding unmet needs in the local community and then developing programs to address them is what is really needed right now, he said.
“I know there’s a need for things like citizenship clinics,” he said, adding that food and clothing drives are also in demand.
Connexion began a new program in January where people pick up free, donated clothes. He said they are planning on scaling up the hours soon to increase accessibility, and they will be looking for new staff to help.
Supporting Immigrant-Owned Businesses
As people look to get more involved, East Somerville Main Streets, working with City Councilor Matthew McLaughlin and Connexion, created a quick and easy way to help: support immigrant-owned businesses that are suffering from lost revenue by going out to eat once a week.
East Somerville Main Streets Executive Director Lindsay Allen said she witnessed firsthand the economic impacts to immigrant-owned businesses on Broadway. Eat Out in East directs patrons to the immigrant-owned businesses that have lost customers due to ICE arrests.
“Many businesses have reported COVID-like revenue,” she said. “We’ve had three immigrant-owned businesses close in the past three months, which is not normal.”
She added, “The impact feels very real. So, part of Eat Out in East is a direct response to that.”
“This isn’t just about eating out to me,” Councilor McLaughlin said. “I’m telling people to go to the Connexion Church, where they are helping people, and plug themselves in. Find out what they can do to contribute. I think a lot of people just don’t know what to do.”
Connexion purchases food from nearby immigrant-owned restaurants, including Rei Da Picanha, Rincón Mexicano, Sister’s Caribbean Restaurant, and Lotus Xpress.
Paying around $1,000 weekly, Connexion provides up to 120 free meals every Wednesday, totaling over $50,000 annually.
“I talk to the businesses regularly,” McLaughlin said. “They’ve seen a decline in business since Trump took office.” He added, “So, it sounds like we have a lot more work to do.”
McLaughlin said another benefit of the Eat Out in East initiative is having more people on the streets who can bear witness to future ICE activities.
“The fact that ICE was masked is an indication that they don’t want to be seen doing what they’re doing,” he said. “I think now, especially, we want more foot traffic.”
New Tactics
Originally from Mexico, Ivan Abarca, a coordinator for Padres Latinos de SPS, said that as an immigrant himself, he personally feels the importance of countering federally-driven, anti-immigrant actions.
He said Padres Latinos de SPS still needs more volunteers.
Padres Latinos de SPS, he said, is working to create a bank account that will help people impacted by ICE arrests by covering rent, groceries, and legal fees. But, he added, people don’t have to only seek out an organization to help their neighbors who may fear going out in public. They can take that initiative themselves, he said.
More volunteers are still needed for patrol and verification roles to provide clear, accurate updates on ICE activity, Abarca said. He added that anyone who is interested in participating can reach out to LUCE to get connected.
“In these hard situations, where families are being separated,” he said, “you cannot be neutral.”
McLaughlin explained that the surge in interest seems to be related to federal activity, and he fears the interest will diminish over time.
“I just want to make sure that the interest doesn’t wane because it [ICE activity] will come back again and again,” he said. “So, we need people to be vigilant and stay involved.”
This article was produced for BINJ.News, the independent weekly magazine published by the Boston Institute for Nonprofit Journalism, and is syndicated by BINJ’s MassWire news service.
