Hi, I'm starting a crowdfunding effort over the next two weeks to raise money for an organization that is very dear to my heart: The Association for a more Just Society (AJS).
There is one problem: I'm not on social media. If you're comfortable with it, would you consider sharing this campaign on social media? There are also ways to give described below.
Those of you who know us personally know that my wife Keli and I met while we were working with youth who had come to the U.S. without documentation. Many of the kids we worked with were fleeing violence, gangs, poverty, exploitation, abuse, and other terrible conditions in their home countries.
As I've seen immigration in the news, I have been thinking a lot about the youth that Keli and I worked with. What kind of desperation could force you to move from your home, take a dangerous journey to a completely unknown country, and then throw yourself completely at the mercy of strangers?
Christians believe each person is an image-bearer of Christ, other traditions describe the presence of the divine in each individual. The inherent human dignity of each person can get lost in the politics of the immigration debate.
To me, AJS is a model of an organization that is working in such a way as to respect the inherent dignity of each person they interact with. AJS is working to combat the violence, poverty, and injustice in Honduras that forced the massive migration of many of the kids that Keli and I worked with.
I first learned about the work of AJS during a college semester studying in Honduras way back in 2003. Since then AJS has been recognized as Transparency International's representative in Honduras, they have received recognition from government aid programs across the globe, and they have become an example of how to impact positive change at a societal level.
Giving to AJS is a way to impact the root causes of immigration. I've found an annonymous donor who will match all donations made up to $1,000.
If you decided to give, AJS has asked that you give through their site at https://www.ajs-us.org/donate
or you can write a check to
Association for a More Just Society
Make sure you include a comment that your gift is for this crowdfunding campaign, that way we can make sure we match all gifts up to $1,000!
Checks can be sent to:
Association for a More Just Society
PO Box 888631
Grand Rapids, MI 49588
(The Association for a More Just Society (AJS) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, so all donations to AJS are tax-deductible for U.S. taxpayers.)
Thank you!!!
- Jonathan
