Senator Jamie Eldridge Advocates for Immigrant Congregants at Assemblia de Deus Church with Pastor Constantino Pereira Junior During Pandemic
Senator Eldridge with Assembly of God Pastor Junior and church leaders, providing food from Open Table Food Pantry.
Hudson, MA – Since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic, State Senator Jamie Eldridge (D-Acton) has been a vocal advocate for immigrant families across Massachusetts, working to ensure that they receive the same financial support as other Massachusetts residents do. Given that the federal CARES Act failed to provide stimulus checks for undocumented and mixed-status families, and many immigrant families are not eligible for state unemployment assistance, Senator Eldridge has worked to secure financial and food support for immigrant families in his district - Middlesex and Worcester - through private sources and charities.
Last week, Senator Eldridge visited the Assembly of God church in Hudson, to highlight the partnership he has developed with church, Pastor Constantino Pereira Junior: “Pastor Junior, a Marlborough resident, and I have been friends for many years, and I commend him for his advocacy for his congregants. During the pandemic, I have been pleased to partner with him, a Boston foundation, and the Open Table food pantry, to provide financial and food support for members of the church, the vast majority of whom are Brazilian immigrants,” said Senator Eldridge.
The Boston foundation was able to provide a $25,000 grant to the church, distributing $500 each to about 50 Brazilian and Spanish families of the Assembly of God church. More recently, Senator Eldridge partnered with the Open Table food pantry, located in Maynard, to provide basic staple items, fresh fruits, and vegetables to families in the church, after their Sunday service.
"During the COVID-19 pandemic, 50 of our church families were greatly impacted by the generosity of Senator James B. Eldridge through the Family Independence Initiative,” said Pastor Constantino Pereira Junior. “The families that received the $500 funds were families who couldn’t get any assistance from the state or federal government because of their immigration status. Senator Eldridge was sensitive to our community needs and was able to get our church $25,000, which was distributed through UPTogether to 50 Brazilian and Spanish families from our congregation in the Hudson region. This great generosity came in a time of great need for our church families."
“With many immigrant families ineligible for unemployment assistance and the Trump administration's cruel action to bar stimulus funds to undocumented immigrants, I was pleased to partner with Massachusetts foundations to provide private financial support to members of the Assembly of God church,” said Senator Eldridge. “I want to commend Pastor Constantino Pereira Junior for his passionate advocacy on behalf of his congregants, who continue to be neglected at a time when most immigrants are frontline workers during the pandemic.”
This grant was a pilot for a larger program, which will hopefully provide aid for more desperate families in this time of great need. Senator Jamie Eldridge filed a bill this session, S.D 2659, An Act to provide equal stimulus checks to immigrant taxpayers, that would have ensured that Massachusetts residents who filed their taxes with an ITIN number, would get the same stimulus checks as the federal CARES Act provided.
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