The Fast for Our Families

On New Year's Day, a half dozen community members, including people facing deportation, entered St. Ann's Catholic Mission in Naranja, Florida (in south Miami Dade county) and began the Fast for Our Families. This means that they ate their last meal on New Year's Eve and will consume only liquids indefinitely until President Obama hears the voices of families separated by deportation. The fasters are making two simple requests to the Obama administration on behalf of our families:

1. That the Administration acts in its Executive Authority to SUSPEND raids, detentions, and deportations against immigrants with American families until Congress fixes our broken immigration system.

2. That the Administration sends the Secretary of Homeland Security, Janet Napolitano, down to South Dade to meet with the fasters to discuss what is happening in our community -- the daily, violent separation of families.

The fasters will continue the Fast for Our Families indefinitely and ask all who have watched families and communities be torn apart by raids, detentions, and deportations to join with them in solidarity actions and fasts.

Nationwide support for the Fast for Our Families is growing, but we need your support! How you can be involved:

1. Call President Obama and Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano & ask them to stop the separation of our families. Their contact information and our policy document can be found at fastforfamilies@gmail.com. You can also call Secretary Napolitano right now at 866-587-3023.

2. Watch live streaming video of the Fasters every day at Noon from fastforfamilies.org .

3. Organize a 1-day Solidarity Fast or other action. If you are in the area, come spend the day with us. If you aren’t, do it from where you are. Let us know who you are, why you are joining us, and when you are fasting by emailing fastforfamilies@gmail.com. And if you want to join the indefinite fast, please let us know.

4. Forward this email to your friends and colleagues!

5. Make a contribution to support the families of the Fasters. You can send a check made out to WeCount! At Box 344116, Florida City, FL 33034. Put Fast for our Families in the memo.

6. Visit the Fasters at St. Ann Mission (13875 SW 264 St., Homestead, FL) - the visits they receive buoy their spirits. Let them know that their friends and neighbors care about them and support them.

Thank you for your support and your good works!
The Fast for Our Families