MHM Announces $120,000 Grant to Justice for All Immigrants in Corpus Christi
Funding Will Support Immigration Legal Services to Individuals Needing Assistance
Corpus Christi, Texas (August 2, 2022) – Methodist Healthcare Ministries of South Texas, Inc. awarded Justice for All Immigrants (JFAI) a $120,000 grant to provide immigration legal services to individuals and families living South Texas communities. This is the first time Methodist Healthcare Ministries has provided JFAI with funding. The current agreement runs through April 2023.
Through these funds, JFAI opened and operates a field office in Corpus Christi, located inside the Rio Texas Conference – United Methodist Church’s Coastal Bend District Office at 3510 Gollihar Road Corpus Christi, TX 78415. Here, Diona Johnson, an immigration attorney, began providing immigration legal services to individuals and families in July 2022.
JFAI is using the funds to 1) educate the community about the immigration process and laws and their roles in that system, 2) hold legal clinics open to the community, 3) provide training to Methodist Healthcare Ministries’ staff members and their partners, 4) provide individualized legal assistance in the referrals from Methodist Healthcare Ministries’ staff, and 5) provide direct legal representation for all JFAI clients.
“At Methodist Healthcare Ministries, we believe that health care is more than just caring for your medical needs, but also addressing the inequalities present in communities that prevent all of our neighbors from thriving,” said Jaime Wesolowski, President & CEO of Methodist Healthcare Ministries. “By ensuring our immigrant neighbors have the legal information and access to quality legal services, we are helping them advance and thrive in the communities we serve.”
In 2021, JFAI was presented with the opportunity to expand its immigration services to the South Texas region due to the permanent closure of another immigration services provider, San Antonio Region Justice for Our Neighbors (SARJFON). Its closure created a service void in the rural counties in South Texas. Given the population of immigrants in the region, the need for JFAI to expand its services became apparent in order to ensure that immigration legal services are available and being rendered to deserving individuals.
“We are so excited to expand into Corpus Christi and provide immigration legal services for the community in partnership with Methodist Healthcare Ministries,” said Joy Green, Legal Director at Justice for All Immigrants. “Our staff attorney in Corpus Christi, Diona Johnson, started working in July, and has been a tremendous asset to our team. She is eager to serve those in greatest need. We look forward to this continued partnership.”
By working towards a more equitable society for immigrants, JFAI creates the pathway out of poverty to self-sufficiency. For more information, visit justiceforallimmigrants.org or call (361) 356-7553.
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About Methodist Healthcare Ministries of South Texas, Inc.: Methodist Healthcare Ministries of South Texas, Inc. is a private, faith-based not-for-profit organization dedicated to creating access to health care for the uninsured through direct services, community partnerships and strategic grant-making in 74 counties across South Texas. Guided by its mission of "Serving Humanity to Honor God," Methodist Healthcare Ministries’ vision is to be the leader for improving wellness of the least served. The mission also includes Methodist Healthcare Ministries' one-half ownership of the Methodist Healthcare System, the largest healthcare system in South Texas, which creates a unique avenue to ensure that it continues to be a benefit to the community by providing quality care to all and charitable care when needed. For more information, visit www.mhm.org.
About Justice For All Immigrants: Justice For All Immigrants began in 2014 as Houston/East Texas Justice For Our Neighbors, and became Justice for our Neighbors Houston in 2016. In June 2021, it changed its name to Justice For All Immigrants to better represent the work they perform across Texas. JFAI’s mission is to provide low-income individuals and families with affordable, high-quality immigration legal services and engage in immigration education and advocacy. It continues to be part of the national Justice For Our Neighbors network and a United Methodist Ministry.