The poor and broken

This week I began interning at the Richmond Department of Social Services again.  I go there twice a week for 3 hours at a time.

This is what I do:
- I help Spanish-speaking clients fill out applications for food stamps, housing aid and medicaid
- I interpret for interviews between clients and their case worker
- I help ensure Spanish-speaking clients understand the information, rules and anything else they're given
- I also simply help the Spanish-speaking clients feel more comfortable

In regards to the comfort of those who don't speak English.  Imagine walking into a government building where everyone is racist towards you, wants you deported because they assume you're illegal and where you understand nothing.  That's scary, so I try to make things more comfortable for them.  I make sure I smile, I'm patient, understanding, caring and that I give them all that I can.  I know it's a stressful thing for someone who speaks the language, but I can't imagine how hard it is for those who don't.

So in the field that I'm interning, EVERYONE that comes in for help is very poor and very in need.  The problem that the Spanish-speaking people have is that everyone assumes they're illegal even if they have a social security card (because sometimes those are stolen).  They're completely ignored a lot of times by their case workers.  The case workers let their cases expire so they don't get help, even if they did everything they needed to stay current.

Yes, most of the adults are here illegally.  Thing is, their kids are usually citizens.

Let me explain some things and show you how terrible life can be for these people...

First off, anyone that is coming here illegally weighs their options.  They don't leave their home country and come to ours because ours is worse.  They come here because their lives there are so terrible that they would rather risk coming here, being arrested and sent back than to live in their own country.  They risk everything to make their lives better.  They are escaping something so terrible that we can't understand.

They are seeking better lives for themselves and for their kids.

I see situations where a husband is deported, leaving a wife and kids.  The wife has no way of providing for her kids. at. all.  But it's still better than going back home.

I see other times where a wife is living with a drunk, abusive husband just so her kids can be provided for.  She would even go as far as NOT wanting him deported because she can't care for her kids.  She would rather be abused than not provide for her kids.  She would rather be miserable and here, because she knows her kids have a chance.

These people are choosing to deal with terrible situations here because they're better than the terrible situations back home.

I'm not law enforcement.  I'm no authority on anything.

The thing is, these people need help and we have so much... so much.

All I'm pleading for is for you all to understand that this shouldn't be about legality all the time.  This shouldn't be about "terrible people using the system."  I see so many Americans, Americans mind you, who drive up to social services in a Lexus, wearing Dolce and Gabanna glasses... They are clearly poor because of poor spending, yet the people who actually need help don't receive it?

Injustice.

I'm just making a plea for people to be loving.

I am NOT proposing the presence of illegal immigrants here.  I know as followers of Christ, we are called to reach out in love to EVERYONE... not just our own citizens.  These people come here and are so broken and hurt so much.  I'm just asking for you to respond to the call of the hurting and reach out in love.

Again, I'm not at all asking you all to forget about legality, but remember that if you have a chance to make someone's life better, don't throw it away for legalistic reasons.

As Christians... as humans... we are called to love each other.

Just love.

Please.