Fundraiser to reunite families separated at U.S. border raises $5.4 million in four days
A Facebook fundraiser started by a California couple has raised more than $5 million dollars over just four days for immigrant families separated at the U.S. border.
After seeing a viral photo of a crying two-year-old immigrant girl witnessing her mother’s arrest, Charlotte and Dave Willner took to Facebook to start a fundraising campaign called “Reunite an immigrant parent with their child.” The goal as of Saturday morning was $1,500, but at one point on Monday the campaign was earning $4,000 every minute.
“These aren’t kids we don’t have to care about. They’re like our kids,” Charlotte Willner told the San Jose Mercury News. “When we look at the faces of these children, we can’t help but see our own children’s faces.”
About 133,000 people had donated $5.4 million as of Tuesday afternoon.
The money goes to the Refugee and Immigrant Center for Education and Legal Services (RAICES), a nonprofit in Texas that provides free and low-cost legal services to immigrants and refugees.
“We do not have the words to thank Charlotte and Dave Willner,” RAICES posted on Facebook. “We’ve been occasionally crying around the office all day when we check the fundraising totals. There are terrible things happening in the world. And there are many people who are deciding not to look away but to do something.”
On behalf of the famlies we can serve thanks to your generosity, we say THANK YOU. We will keep fighting. We will keep working. You make it possible. #EndFamilySeparation#FamiliesBelongTogetherhttps://t.co/0wzHYPurfjpic.twitter.com/FbOVqgt7Lv
— RAICES (@RAICESTEXAS) June 18, 2018
