RMIAN to Celebrate Virtual Immigrant Liberty Awards Event Next Week
Each year, RMIAN organizes an event, the Immigrant Liberty Awards, that honors the outstanding contributions of immigrants and exceptional advocates in our community and celebrates our shared efforts in creating a more just society.
The 2020 Immigrant Liberty Awards, themed "Here to Stay," will be held virtually throughout next week. Each morning next week you will receive an email that highlights one of our honorees, including video content of that honoree’s acceptance speech. The speeches from our honorees, always the best part of the in-person event, are amazing this year. In a time of immense challenges and hardships, I hope you will be able to watch the courageous, inspiring, and powerful messages that will be shared each day by these incredible immigrant rights’ advocates in Colorado. The schedule is as follows:
Monday, August 24: Marissa Molina (Immigrant Liberty Award)
Tuesday, August 25 Araceli Calderón de Weis (Immigrant Liberty Award)
Wednesday, August 26: U.S. Representative Jason Crow (Immigrant Liberty Award)
Thursday, August 27: Davis Graham & Stubbs LLP (Pro Bono Service Award)
Friday, August 28: Patricia Medige (Lifetime Achievement Award)
RMIAN hopes to raise $50,000 through this virtual event in order to raise critical funding to support immigrants in need here in Colorado. Each day, we will share a story of Client Success to demonstrate the impact of RMIAN's services on community members in need. Below is the first Client Success Story featuring Fatima, an asylum seeker from Burkina Faso whose life and daughter's life was forever changed by RMIAN's Children's Program.
This year also marks RMIAN’s 20th Anniversary. Join us as we celebrate the achievements of the organization’s past and look ahead towards the critical work to be done moving forward. And help us to honor this year's incredible honorees and remarkable work.
Celebrating Client Success
Fatima (pictured left with her daughter) came to the United States from Burkina Faso out of desperation to save her teenage daughter from suffering female genital mutilation, a harmful and painful traditional practice that Fatima was forced to endure as a child. RMIAN represented Fatima in her own asylum application, successfully applied for her daughter to join her in the United States, and recently helped Fatima win permanent residency in the United States. Fatima says, "I refused with all my heart and soul to let this happen to my daughter and thanks to RMIAN she is safe now. She is attending school and I am working as a security guard at a hospital to support her. I am very thankful that I am now a lawful permanent resident and that I am together with my daughter where I can raise her without fear."
A donation of $6,000 helps RMIAN to provide free legal services to other asylum seekers like Fatima. Please make your contribution today to help RMIAN reach its goal of raising $50,000 through the Immigrant Liberty Awards Event.
