MMH Gives Back

The American Immigration Council (AIC) strives to strengthen the United States by shaping immigration policies and practices through innovative programs, cutting-edge research, and strategic legal and advocacy efforts grounded in evidence, compassion, justice, and fairness. The AIC collaborates with diverse stakeholders, including policymakers, grassroots organizations, and immigrant communities, to advance results-driven solutions to the challenges facing immigrants and communities throughout the United States. MMH gives to the AIC because it not only supports its mission of shaping immigration policy based on data-driven research but also because our very own Margaret “Peggy” McCormick was instrumental in its foundation.

Borderless Magazine is reimagining immigration journalism for a more just and equitable future. Borderless Magazine is a member-supported newsroom working to dismantle racist and harmful media coverage of immigrants. They do this through their reporting and by making sure immigrants and people of color are better represented in newsrooms. MMH gives to Borderless Magazine because we believe in honest and balanced immigration coverage in the news.

The National Immigrant Justice Center (NIJC) provides legal consultations and representation for low-income immigrants seeking a wide range of immigration legal relief.

Specifically, they help eligible youth seeking to apply for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) and employment authorization; immigrants applying for permanent residence through a family-based application; permanent residents applying for citizenship; immigrants who are victims of domestic violence or violent crime and seek protection in the United States; victims of international human trafficking; immigrants applying for Temporary Protected Status (TPS) or NACARA; immigrants detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Wisconsin, Kentucky or Indiana; and asylum seekers, including LGBTQ individuals seeking safety from persecution based on their sexual orientation or gender identity. At a time when asylum policies have become increasingly restrictive, the NIJC provides critical legal support to those fleeing violence, war, and persecution. MMH gives to the NIJC because supporting its work is a way to stand in solidarity with refugees and asylum seekers who need protection.

Chicago Volunteer Legal Services (CVLS) is comprised of 2,100+ volunteer attorneys who donate free services to thousands of low-income Chicagoans annually. Their services are 100% free, accessible, and honest. They bring together all the resources of the great city of Chicago by utilizing a small staff to support and train a pool of thousands of volunteer attorneys from more than 990 firms, companies, and organizations throughout the city. They support, organize, and train these volunteer attorneys to make the biggest impact in the most cost-effective way possible. MMH gives to CVLS through donations and pro bono representation because we believe everyone should have access to legal representation regardless of income.

Fugees Family is a national nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing educational justice for refugee and immigrant youth in America. It offers a tailored academic program that partners with public school districts nationwide. Their students are primarily refugees and immigrant youth who are newcomers to the United States. Many of them have experienced interrupted or limited formal education and face significant challenges in traditional school environments. Their programming is designed to help students build community, confidence, and language skills through English immersion, the arts, and athletics. Rooted in 20 years of experience in newcomer education, their whole-school model incorporates full-day English immersion, music and art therapy, yoga, martial arts, soccer team participation, and wraparound family engagement supports in a trauma-informed setting that celebrates student’s culture and identity. MMH provides pro bono and low bono representation to immigrant and refugee children in the Fugees Family because we believe that addressing their legal needs is a crucial part of supporting the whole child.

Established in 2022, Will’s Place is a nonprofit cafe located in the heart of downtown Skokie, IL. Their goal is to create meaningful employment and vocational training opportunities for adults with disabilities. For adults with disabilities, job opportunities are often minimal. While 15% of the general population struggles with both physical and intellectual disabilities, 82% of adults with disabilities will never find a job. While most school districts offer programs for children with disabilities, adult options are limited. Most adults with disabilities age out of the public system at 22 years old. Open Monday to Saturday, Will’s Place offers a wide selection of provisions, coffee, pastries, and sandwiches. MMH gives to Will’s Place because we support its mission of empowering adults with disabilities through meaningful employment.

The Young Center for Immigrant Children’s Rights protects and advances immigrant children’s rights and best interests according to the Convention on the Rights of the Child and state and federal law. The Young Center is a champion for the best interests of children who arrive in the United States on their own from all corners of the world. They serve as trusted allies for these children while they are in deportation proceedings, advocating for their best interests and standing for the creation of a dedicated children’s immigrant justice system that ensures the safety and well-being of every child. Young Center attorneys, social workers, and bilingual volunteers are appointed Child Advocate (guardian ad litem) by the Department of Health and Human Services. Their role is to advocate for their best interests—from custody and release to the ultimate decision about whether the child will be allowed to remain in the U.S. MMH gives to the Young Center because we believe in their mission to change the immigration system so that children in immigration proceedings are recognized as children, and their best interests are made a part of the decision-making process.

Located in Burlington, Wisconsin, Rustic Falls Nature Camp is a customized camp experience for small groups. The goal of the camp is to create unique outdoor experiences for at-risk youth, cancer survivors, and physically and mentally challenged children and adults. Rustic Falls Nature Camp strives to offer a safe, nurturing environment that will provide recreational and educational activities to enhance the lives of children and their families. By providing a retreat in a beautiful landscape and designing programming tailored to each group’s special needs, Rustic Falls can create a restorative environment for people in the middle of some of life’s most challenging times. MMH gives to Rustic Falls Nature Camp because we believe life deserves to be celebrated and in the restorative power of nature and community.

Located in Burlington, Wisconsin, Arise Chicago builds partnerships between faith communities and workers to fight workplace injustice through education, organizing, and advocating for public policy changes. The Arise Chicago Worker Center (ACWC) is a membership-based community resource for immigrant and native-born workers to learn about their rights and organize with fellow workers to improve workplace conditions. ACWC’s workplace justice campaigns train workers to know their rights, file complaints with government agencies, organize direct actions, and access legal representation. ACWC boasts the most comprehensive workers’ rights publication in Illinois (free and available in English, Spanish, and Polish), regularly distributed throughout the Chicagoland area, and provides a unique, popular education-style workshop to hundreds of workers each year. MMH gives to Arise Chicago through pro bono and low bono representation because we believe all workers, regardless of their immigration status, deserve fair pay and safe working conditions.