Ari works as OEP’s Outreach Intern. They love playing with their dog, Poppie, writing, and playing the ukulele! At OEP they manage and design content for the Just Peace Outfitters (JPO) storefront. You can find Ari’s designs and the JPO store here. 

Written by OEP's Migrant Justice Organizer, Jessia Avila

At this juncture of the presidential transition, it is critical to strengthen values of belonging, human concern, and empathy as we seek to overcome hate, xenophobia, and division within our country. It is both a time of hope and critical reflection, one that requires our collective and collaborative efforts to hold Congressional leaders and the Biden Administration accountable for a humane immigration system.

The Glade Valley congregation in Walkersville, MD, one of OEP’s blessed community groups,  adopted 21 homeless highschoolers during this Christmas season and stuffed stockings for them with masks and many other valuable gifts.

Late last year we accepted our first two applicants for the Community Engagement Grants for Youth Groups (CEGYG). Our first group is the Boarderless Relations Committee from Finlay, OH who are helping youth in their community learn about racial dynamics as well as how to become anti-racist by providing books and workshops to elementary schools. We have met with them to map out their project and have held our first session on how to teach race-consciousness to kids. Two of our interns, Tamera and Priscilla, drew from our webinar Raising Race-Conscious Kids and discussed racial scripts, the detriment of colorblindness, and introduced the group to activities that might be useful in engaging young children. 

Happy New Year, everyone! Several children’s books are scheduled to be released in 2021. After looking at the various new releases, I created a list of 10 children’s books that I think you should look into reading or purchasing for the children in your life. The books I chose have characters from different backgrounds and address different topics, including empowerment and the importance of helping others in need. Here is the list of new book releases for 2021:

Butterfly for a King: Saving Hawai‛i’s Kamehameha Butterflies by Cindy Trumbore and Susan L. Roth, Illustrated by Susan L. Roth

“The fascinating true story of a beautiful native Hawaiian butterfly, a great Hawaiian warrior king, and current-day efforts by scientists and citizens to restore the butterfly’s declining population.”