What's Happening?

Thank you, Clara Meyer, for the photos of the Computer and Lego class at June Bug Center! Four of our asylum seekers are very grateful! Thank you to our members for helping make this possible thanks to your donations!

Floyd Friends of Asylum Seekers represented at the Floyd Juneteenth Festival!

Proud of our two students, Pedrito and Vianca, for completing the Jr. Engineer program and for Clara earning credit towards college by interpreting at June Bug Center!

Thanks to your donations, we were able to assist Ana and Alfredo with their immigration hearing, and four kids participated in June Bug's dance and music program.

We took Aniel to Sterling, VA for his first immigration hearing. Also took Jose to the Colombian embassy in DC and was finally able to get his passport and credentials.

Weather was great but lots of traffic issues going and coming.

Thank you for caring for our resident asylees! This labor of love is possible thanks to your donations!

Thanks to donations, we were able to attend the Larry and Joe concert at Floyd Country Store. 11 kids were also gifted ice cream!

Thanks to your donations, we were able to take 14 asylees to the fair in Christiansburg. 

Providing positive experiences to asylees that have endured unspeakable trauma is one of the tools in our healing toolbox.

Thank you for making this possible!

So very proud of our very first asylum seeker to graduate from Floyd High School!

We have 11 children that are dealing with severe trauma. It infiltrates their dreams and affects their lives. The way to help these kids move forward, in addition to therapy, is to give them positive experiences. By providing positive trauma healing experiences and giving them things to look forward to, their smiles are starting to return.

Your donations make this possible. Please consider donating today.

You can donate with a credit card through our donate button on our website www.FloydFriendsOfAsylumSeekers.org or by sending a check made out to FFOAS (Floyd Friends of Asylum Seekers) P.O. Box 628, Floyd VA 24091.

We welcomed another family: a couple and three kids. They are also related to resident asylees. They will be staying with their relatives until we can find them housing.

Thanks to your donations, eleven kids got to experience bowling, games, and a movie. We saw "65".

For several of the kids, it was their first time ever going to the movies!

Baby Eduardo is a handsome young 4-month-old! Thanks to your donations, he got his 4-month checkup.

Yami was enrolled in PreK. She is over the moon happy about going to school.

Thanks to your donations, we were able to transport and provide much needed medical and dental care to our resident asylum seekers.

This is from Kroger. If you shop there, please consider FFOAS as the recipient of this program. 

Your Kroger Account

Community Rewards Home Page

Dear Floyd Friends of Asylum Seekers (PP197),

The Kroger Co. Family of Stores is committed to bringing hope and help to the local neighborhoods we call home. Our stores are on a mission to not just part of, but to help create a stronger community. We recognize that every community has unique causes that need support. Thank you for being such an important organization in our community.

We encourage you to ask your supporters to link their rewards card to your organization. Community Rewards is easy to use. The more your supporters shop with us, the more money your organization will earn!

We are committed to carefully protecting our customer's personal information. In order to meet their expectation of privacy, we have adopted a simple policy to never share a customer's personal information. Our privacy policy applies to Community Rewards participation as well.

Thank you for being such an important organization in our community,

Community Rewards Staff 

We recently welcomed our newest asylum-seeking arrivals.

It is a mom and her four children. Mom is the sister of three asylees we currently assist.

At this time, since housing is a challenge, they will be sharing a two-bedroom trailer with her brother and his family.

We need winter clothes.

Mom is petite. Size M. Shoe size 6.

15-year-old petite girl. Size S. Shoe size 6.

Twin 10-year-old boys. Size 8. Shoe size 4.

4-year-old petite girl. Size 5T.

Shoe size toddler 9.

UPDATE: A kind member just let us know she got a pair of shoes for this family. Another kind member has some clothes. It warms my heart to see our members' kindness.

This family also needs school supplies, rent assistance, electric assistance, medical care, etc.

Please don't forget to assist us financially so we can continue providing this much needed assistance. 

Check or Money Order to FFOAS (Floyd Friends of Asylum Seekers) P.O. Box 628, Floyd VA 24091 or online through the donate button. 

Thank you!

Thanks to your donations, we were able to take thirteen asylees to the Asheboro Zoo in NC.

Shout out to the June Bug Center for including our asylum-seeking kids in the JAM (Junior Appalachian Musicians) program; both Mariano and Brayan chose guitar as the instrument they want to learn this session.

We went to the Christiansburg Aquatic Center; fun was had by all! Thank you to our members who make this possible!

We were gifted five tickets to the Nutcracker event at Berglund center in Roanoke. The show started at 7 pm.

I picked up four asylees at 5 pm and purchased two pizzas to eat on the way. We could see the red and green lights illuminating the center from the exit ramp at 6:30 pm. It took 45 minutes to travel one tenth of a mile! We finally reached the main entrance at 7:40 pm to be told the parking lot was full and traffic was being directed to go two miles to park and take a shuttle to the event.

So... we aborted this mission, and I took the asylees to the Regal theater to watch the Black Panther movie.

Thanks to your donations, Mariano was able to get much needed dental care, and Neytan was able to see a doctor.

Today is the day to give!

Since October 2019, Floyd has been host to over 40 resident asylum seekers. The Floyd Friends of Asylum Seekers community supports the asylum-seekers through donations that cover medical visits, legal advice, rent, and transportation costs. Our community also volunteers transportation services and donations in kind in response to specific needs of the asylum seekers. 

There is a huge need for this work in our area of the country, and any supplies or time that can be contributed makes a difference. You can participate by donating money and items to support our resident asylum seekers.

There was a meeting with potential investors in creating an asylee sanctuary.

Baby Eduardo was born on October 4th. On October 20th Eduardo had his 2-week doctor visit. He gained one pound since the previous week!

Mariano's final soccer game ended 2 to 1. He scored one for his mama, who was finally able to attend and watch him play. We have three kids on three different soccer teams. What means the most is the beautiful way their teammates treat each other. Some have been invited to birthday parties! That is how we build community one person at a time.

Thanks to your donations, we were able to purchase two wreath making machines, frames, and clippers. A generous friend donated the fresh greenery. This is our first business incubator.

Topeco Church invited our asylees and FFOAS members to experience a potluck Thanksgiving feast on Saturday Nov. 26th. This was the first Thanksgiving experience for all asylees that arrived since 2020. Floyd Friends of Asylum Seekers and resident asylees are very grateful to Mindy Daniels and the Topeco Church for putting on this beautiful Thanksgiving feast! Thank you to the members that came to meet some of our asylees and for all the delicious food!

Thanks to your donations, this labor of love is possible...

Jose arrived a few minutes before midnight.  I took him to his apartment, and this morning around 10, I picked him up, we had breakfast at the Express Mart, and then we went to Angels in the Attic for clothes and shoes. While we were there, I got a call from Jae; she was shopping and wanted to get some necessities for him as well.

We returned to his apartment to wash his clothes and wait for Jae, who brought him a variety of things including toilet paper, deodorant, soap, detergent, a fleece lined hoody, socks, thermal underwear, new work boots, and some groceries.

After we put up those items, we went to Food Lion to get meat and other food items.

I left him around 3 pm.

Then I picked Brayan, Mariano, and Jose so they could experience the Jamboree.

We missed the Witches dancing, but we got to take some photos with a few of them. It was a beautiful and fun evening.

They met Starroot, who gifted each of them one of her beautiful postcards.

I will bring more asylees to the Jamboree next Friday. I hope you can come too, so you can meet.

Mark your calendars now for Giving Tuesday November 29th.  Find out more by visiting
https://givingtuesday.mightycause.com/.../Floyd-Friends...

And remember, November 29, 2022 is the day to give!  

You can actually donate any time before then too on the GivingTuesday site or using the PayPal "Donate Now" link at our website https://floydfriendsofasylumseekers.org/ or simply mail a check to FFOAS, PO Box 628, Floyd VA 24091!

The meeting with potential investors in creating the asylee sanctuary went well this morning. I met with only one of the investors, and he would like to get his associates together to have another presentation before they decide to assist our non-profit.  The best they can do is provide a down payment for land.

I let him know that Carlos Santana's Milagro Foundation told me to contact them once we acquired land so they can possibly build a music school for the asylees. The man I met today had never heard of Carlos Santana.

I also let him know that Executive Chef Omar W Elkara, from Charlotte Country Club, had told me that if we can grow herbs and veggies for the Charlotte, NC market, he would assist with distribution. (Chef Omar used to be a customer of my certified organic farm in Lake Wylie SC that used to service 56 restaurants in the Charlotte, NC area from 1989 through 2000)

We have plenty of work to be self-sufficient and sustainable. We just need to have the land.

Then, this afternoon, I was on a zoom call with a CDC representative who "granted" the $27,000 6-month grant to be used for transportation and legal expenses only, but we are hung up waiting for someone to "wet sign" the grant, so this is in a holding pattern until signed. In the meantime, I have almost exhausted all my savings to cover transportation expenses. 

We truly need our members to step up and just donate $15 a month so we don't have to depend on grants or my seriously dwindled savings to help our resident asylees.

Please step up and help us through sending check donation to FFOAS (Floyd Friends of Asylum Seekers) P O Box 628, Floyd VA 24091 or through the "donate" button on our website.

In case you are not familiar with Carlos Santana's band Santana, which pioneered a fusion of Rock and roll and Latin American jazz: https://bluesrockreview.com/.../05/top-10-santana-songs.html

FloydCARE is hosting the second annual National Hispanic Heritage Month Celebration in Warren G. Lineberry Memorial Park. FloydCARE esta patrocinando el Segundo Festival de la Cultura Hispana esta celebracion ocurrira el parque Warren G. Lineberry Memorial Park.

We are raising funds and awareness for the Floyd Friends of Asylum Seekers. Estamos alzando fondos y visibilidad para Floyd Friends of Asylum Seekers ( Amigos de personas buscando asilo en Floyd).
Please consider donating/Porfavor considere donar lo que pueda: https://gofund.me/358a0c4e

In August, we started the English as a Second Language classes for twenty-one asylee adults.  We held four one-hour sessions (two hours each time twice).  They have been practicing their English every chance possible.

Baby Elsa was born in Carillion Hospital.  FFOAS founder spent the night at the hospital assisting mother and child.

We transported twenty-three asylees to doctor's and dentist's offices and twenty-six asylees to work.

Two students were enrolled in school - one at Willis Elementary School and one at Indian Valley Elementary School.

Two asylees started making beaded jewelry, and so far, they have sold 6 pieces!
Two sets of two asylees every Monday alternate making Tamales and Empanadas.

During July, orders averaged twenty per Monday and in August they dropped to ten or under orders per Monday. 

We were unsuccessful in raising funds to purchase the WoodBerry Inn, so now we are raising funds to purchase property and create a tiny house village in Floyd to accommodate our current and future residents.

Financial donations dropped again in August. We need help with fundraising. Any and all suggestions will be appreciated. I know these are tough times for everyone. Asylees receive zero assistance; we are their lifeline. If our members would please contribute $15 per month, we would not be in this difficult situation. Please consider making your donation today!

You can either send a check or money order to FFOAS - P.O. Box 628, Floyd, VA  24091 or through the PayPal donation button on our website: www.FloydFriendsOfAsylumSeekers.org

On 26th September 2020, four asylees are being taken to Washington DC to the Mexican embassy with hopes of getting their credentials duplicated, since ICE took their passports, birth certificates, immunization records, and driver licenses and did not return them when they were released. Keep your fingers crossed that all will go well for all of them.  

We are very excited to report that one of our asylees of Guatemalan descent speaks fluent Chuj.  This is a Mayan language! If anyone from the community knows another Chuj speaker, please drop us a note on our Contact Us page. We would hate for her to lose her indigenous language.  In the meantime, members of FFOAS will make the effort to learn and speak Chuj with her.