One World One Family
July 29, 2026 Newsletter
Please forward this newsletter to friends and family you think might be interested in the social justice issues that OWOF covers in Western Washtenaw County. Click HERE to be added to our newsletter list or you can send us an email at owofchelsea@gmail.com
CONTINUING OUR WORK WITH JCIC
OWOF has been supporting the Jackson County Immigrant Coalition this year and that work continues. Representatives from OWOF have attended meetings, we have organized a fund-raiser and developed training materials to distribute to area residents and businesses.
We now have a new relationship as well – OWOF is serving as their fiduciary. We provide structure and accounting for their funds and provide the tools they need to keep working efficiently. Representatives of both organizations meet regularly to work out the details.
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED!
JCIC has multiple action teams that could use help. Some of this work is research and could be done remotely. Let us know if you would like to be connected to this important work. owofchelsea@gmail.com
From our friends at WCS – Washtenaw County Sanctuary LETTERS NEEDED!
We are asking you to write a letter to ICE, advocating for Mohamed Soumah to be granted humanitarian relief to stay in the United States. Even if you don’t know Mohamed, we hope you will read the information below and write a letter of support.
We at WCS are at a critical point in our support of Mohamed Soumah, our guest in sanctuary for 5 years. He has been under ICE supervision following a legal appeal for stay of removal 3 years ago. He was not given a stay of removal, but was given supervision with no reporting for 2 years.
Last month, on 6/3, Mohamed reported for his first ICE in-person check-in in 2 years. His lawyer and a few of us accompanied him. It was a tense check-in, but they didn’t detain him (a real fear). But they ordered him to return on September 8 and bring a new passport. We feel this is an ominous sign of their intention to deport him.
Mohamed came to us for sanctuary 5 years ago because he had an imminent order of deportation and a plane ticket to Guinea, his home country in Africa. Being sent back to Guinea was a sure death sentence due to lack of essential medical care. He was in end stage kidney failure that required dialysis 3X/week.
He now has a new kidney and a new lease on life, but requires several expensive anti-rejection medicines daily to stay alive. He has health insurance that covers those costs through his current job. Those medicines are not available in his home country. Deportation now would again be a death sentence.
Please write a letter to ICE in your own words, asking for humanitarian relief for Mohamed. It can be simple and brief. This talking points document can help with background, but you don’t have to stick to those points.
Please address the letters to the Director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement
Detroit Field Office, and send them to me as soon as possible. DEADLINE is AUGUST 3. Please send your letter as a Word or Google doc to my email: maperrone@ameritech.net
OWOF Visibility
Thanks to some fantastic volunteers we have been able to host tables at several key community events in Chelsea this season – including the Pride March and Picnic, the Farmer’s Market and the July 9 Sounds & Sights. Pictured are Kathie Gourlay and Lizzy Wilson. We have great pins, stickers, Know Your Rights cards and information. We always collect email addresses for the newsletter! Let us know if you’d be interested in table-ing in the future. owofchelsea@gmail.com
FUTURE EVENT
Washtenaw County has produced a movie specifically about housing and homelessness in our area. OWOF has requested for the movie to be shown in Chelsea. We are working with the City of Chelsea and other groups to make this happen. Stay tuned for more information! For more information about the film see these articles published in local media:
from Concentrate CLICK HERE from The Sun Times
OWOF receives checks and donations from supporters throughout the year and we make every effort to thank you all donors individually. However, we’d like to take a moment to thank our largest single donor to date – Sharon Hamilton. We received $1000 from Sharon in honor of her sister’s 60th wedding anniversary! Her sister is Sandra Vadlamudi, OWOF’s long-time, hardworking treasurer. She and her husband Babu recently celebrated 60 years together. Congratulations Sandra and Babu! And thank you to Sharon!
If you’d like to donate, see the link below. Thank you! We appreciate each and every one of you who supports this work!
OUR MISSION is more important than ever
One World One Family is committed to justice and equity for all*. We work to be anti-racist and to oppose discrimination in any form. We engage and empower people to have an impact and change systems to ensure everyone can participate fully in a diverse society.
* all / “ahl” / Noun 1.The whole human family, regardless of actual or perceived age, color, disability, familial status, gender expression, gender identity, genetic information, height, disability status, marital status, national origin, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, source of income, veteran status, or weight. Are you represented?
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www.owofchelsea.org
