DENVER — What started as a group of moms wanting to help migrant families in north Denver has now grown into an effort that both nonprofits and the city lean on for support.
Highlands Moms & Neighbors - Activating Migrant Support Facebook group has grown to over 7,000 members in a matter of about 12 weeks.
The group, spearheaded by community leader Andrea Ryall, says they move at "mom-speed" to get things done.
"A large portion is resource navigation, so I am pretty active as an admin on that page trying to connect people to each other," said Jennifer Kettering, who began working with the group early November when it formed as an off shoot from a larger Facebook group of moms in the Highlands area.
Since then, the group in total has spent over 36,000 volunteer hours working to help migrants. They've been leveraging community network and connections to help get migrants established with jobs. So far, more than 1,300 have been hired for services such as yard work, cleaning services and other odd jobs. The group has also provided more than 61,000 meals at encampments and outside of shelters.
"Essentially, we are tapping into the privilege of thousands of people who are lucky enough to be born citizens here," Kettering said. "We are being humans with privilege, and we are dispersing that privilege in a more equitable way."
Most importantly, more than 405 families have been placed in host homes, as the city has made it clear it will reduce sheltering.
"I do think the responsibility is likely to fall on community, and that’s how we have seen it fall out thus far," Kettering said in reaction to the news that Denver Mayor Mike Johnston's administration will cut sheltering by about half in a Wednesday press conference.
"Almost 40,000 volunteered hours in 12 weeks from 400 people is staggering as someone who worked in program development before, and I would brag about a few hundred hours in a month. This is absolutely unbelievable," Kettering said of the response the group has been able in a mere matter of weeks.
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