MLOV builds power in DC immigrant and refugee communities and since March has responded to a surge in demand for services. It immediately called for the closure of the ICA-Farmville detention center so that community members could safely self-quarantine, and it remains on call to advocate for the release of those detained or undergoing deportation. MLOV distributes monthly stipends ($600-$800) to its most vulnerable members (ineligible for government aid) and trains street vendors as public health promoters who distribute food, hand sanitizer, masks, and gloves to hundreds of vendors and their families. Its Birth to Three campaign addresses the root causes of inequities in the childcare system and tests innovative solutions, while its Youth Action Team meets (in-person or virtually) to engage in a social justice/racial equity campaign. In conditions already inhospitable, COVID-19 has created new challenges: MLOV rises to meet them.
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