Her Story Persisted
Oye Vecino LIVE: Her Story panelists Irma Paz-Bernstein and Rocio Martinez.
Yesterday was a lot. It started out with everyone texting bright and early to rally behind Alvaro who was going to his second asylum interview session this week. We had one person test positive for the flu earlier in the week and had everyone else testing to make sure we were all covid negative. We were also gearing up for Oye Vecino LIVE to fundraise for our legal services. A few of us met at the loading dock in the morning with everything but the fresh food that was to be delivered or picked up later in the day.
Then as I was returning to the library dressed and ready for the final set up and food arrival, I checked my inbox while riding in the passenger seat. There was an email that had come through that the library was evacuated and closed for the day.
We pulled over to a valet parking area downtown and I called the cell number of one of my contacts at the library. We learned that someone phoned the Main Library where we were that morning with bomb threat that resulted in the closure of all the Nashville libraries for the remainder of the day.
So I reached out to the team. I knew the week was already a lot and the third asylum interview of the week was set for the next day. Could we move the event with most of our supplies locked away, without the full team, and start in a couple of hours?
We had to make a decision. Cancel or try to find a new location?
My phone was on fire with text messages, calls, emails, mapping out the alternatives.
We confirmed that we could use the courtyard at Casa Azafran. The team rearranged all of the furniture in the conference room and courtyard. Conexion Americas loaned us their table cloths and flower arrangements (because ours were locked in the library). I was able to reach Ruth at Delicias Colombianas RR before she left Mesa Komal at Casa Azafran. Instead of loading up the food in her food truck, she would just bring it down the hall to the conference room.
I talked to Irma Paz-Bernstein and Rocio Martinez and they were game to relocate the panel discussion wherever we needed to be that night.
I talked to Angie K and she could bring most of her own equipment, borrow some from friends nearby, and the staff scrounged up the rest of what we would need.
We had a new plan. We would proceed. The guests were notified by email of the new location and we had posted an intentionally vague announcement about the change in plans.
The night wasn't going to look anything like we planned, but we had what we needed. We were safe, had food and a place to go. But we lost the ability to record the broadcast of Oye Vecino and might lose quite a few of our audience members by moving it on such short notice.
I thought of the clients who left Afghanistan with their tea cups still on the table, of the families who had to make the impossible decisions of whether or not to proceed, and who could make the journey. Moving our event isn't even comparable. It was just an inconvenience. We've seen people overcome so much more.
In the end, it turned out to be a beautiful night, the weather cooperated, the food was delicious, and the conversation was meaningful but we fell just under $5000 short of our goal to raise $30,000.
Our clients don't give up. Our staff doesn't give up. And we hope that you won't give up on your support. Please consider making a donation so that we can be there to provide immigration legal services to clients seeking humanitarian relief.
All proceeds from Oye Vecino LIVE will contribute to the Tennessee Justice for Our Neighbors mission to provide free or low-cost, compassionate immigration legal services to immigrants, educate the public about issues related to immigration and advocate for immigrant rights.
