Sunday, April 23, 2023 | Special Advertising Section 1 R 2 GIVING GUIDE By Al Kemp Special to the Giving Guide A recent investigation by The New York Times examined a trend toward younger immigrants who often enter the United States without their parents and who find themselves exploited in grueling and often dangerous work. In the last two years, more than 250,000 children have entered the U.S. by themselves, according to the investigation. And in the last year alone, the number of unaccompanied minors entering the country climbed to a high of 130,000 — three times what it was five years earlier. This summer is expected to bring another wave. In Washington state, the Kitsap Immigrant Assistance Center (kitsapiac. org) has felt the impact of this wave of youthful immigrants, and is working to pivot some services to address the influx, according to Kimberly Cizek Allen, the Bremerton-based center’s development and marketing director. “Over the last several months, we have seen an increase in the need for youthcentric services, and we anticipate that to continue,” she said. “Once here, [children] are at risk for falling into exploitative and dangerous situations.” The most alarming part isn’t simply the number of children entering without parents, but their circumstances upon arrival: Many are in debt and are hoping to send money back to their parents, many of whom live in poverty. The New York Times report called the young immigrant laborers “part of a new economy of exploitation” and gave a harrowing account of their working conditions: “This shadow workforce extends across industries in every state, flouting child labor laws that have been in place for nearly a century. Twelve-yearold roofers in Florida and Tennessee. Underage slaughterhouse workers in Delaware, Mississippi and North Carolina. Children sawing planks of wood on overnight shifts in South Dakota.” As these circumstances come to light, efforts to provide relief and force changes will be supported by nonprofit agencies like the Kitsap Immigrant Assistance GIVING GUIDE This section was produced by ST Content Studio. Contact us at 206-464-2400 or advertising@seattletimes.com. Center. Allen said the organization has transitioned from providing mainly direct family services and referrals to also offering sliding-scale immigration legal services and tax and business services to immigrants. “Along with the immigration legal services we provide to young people, KIAC’s Family Services team is starting a youthled mural project for within the KIAC office,” Allen said. “In collaboration with Urbanists Collective, KIAC youth will be designing and painting a mural to make the KIAC lobby reflect the elements of their cultures of which they’re most proud. This will foster a sense of belonging among the young immigrant artists and will help our clients feel ownership of the KIAC lobby.” Washington nonprofits rally to provide support for wave of immigrant families In addition to direct services, Kitsap Immigrant Assistance Center has recently worked to elicit policy changes that will help its clients. In February, a contingent of staffers and clients carpooled to Olympia to advocate for the approval of two pieces of legislation: a wage- “Over the last several months, we have seen an increase in the need for youth-centric services, and we anticipate that to continue.” Kimberly Cizek Allen Kitsap Immigrant Assistance Center COURTESY OF KIAC See Nonprofits, page 4 The youth-led mural project at the Kitsap Immigrant Assistance Center in Bremerton.
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy NDIxMDU=