I have to continue to fight,” Alondra says, “because the day I stop fighting is the day I can essentially be deported.

Alondra—and the 32,000 DACA recipients like her in Houston—know their lives can be taken away at the strike of a pen. Not a day goes by when they don’t think about it.

Her parents, hoping to give her a normal, safe childhood, didn’t tell Alondra of her undocumented status. Then, at 16 years old, her mother took her to a BakerRipley and United We Dream DACA Workshop, where she learned about being undocumented.

Growing up in a mixed status family was difficult.

“Once they found out about my status, they changed. In high school, people didn’t want to be my friends because I went to protests and was undocumented.”

Yet, Alondra was determined to help others like her.

Today, Alondra is a community volunteer, a self-starter, and a Houstonian who passionately believes we’re stronger when we all work together.

Will you make a gift to BakerRipley right now to create opportunities for Houstonians, like Alondra, who long to have a pathway forward? Your gift will provide the legal assistance as well as educational and career advancement programs for our immigrant families during this challenging COVID-19 crisis.

With your generosity, Recovery Starts Now and Houston dreams can continue to grow!