January 7, 2019

Grandmothers, especially New Orleans grandmothers, will go to bat for their families, but a group of local women is taking it a step further by providing support to other families in need.

After hearing about immigrant families being detained for months and even separated at the U.S.-Mexico border, ten local grandmothers traveled to Texas to see it for themselves.

“There was just an inner ‘knowing’ that I had to go and see for myself if even a fraction of what I was hearing about the conditions down there were true,” said Joyce Thomas who traveled with the group.

Galvanized by their experience, the women formed the NOLA Grannies Project after returning home. Through donations and drives, the NOLA Grannies Project assembles care packages with non-perishable snacks, toiletries, and water. Since starting, it has supplied more than 2,000 care packages to individuals released from detention centers at the border. 

“My experience provided me with valuable insights that allowed me to reframe the plight of young families leaving everything to save their lives, putting their story into the context of U.S. citizens fleeing Katrina, or raging forest fires, or flash floods,” said NOLA Granny Cynthia Sheridan to the New Orleans Jewish Community Center – Uptown, which recently hosted a drive for the group. “It also made me aware of specific, concrete actions I could take to make a difference at home.”

For more information, contact the NOLA Grannies Project directly at nolagrannies@gmail.com.

The NOLA Grannies Project is hosting a clothing drive for new items with price tags for all ages and genders on January 9 at the New Orleans JCC – Uptown, noon—1:30 pm. Homero López, director/managing attorney of the Immigration Services and Legal Advocacy in New Orleans, will also be on hand to discuss immigration challenges in the U.S.

There is no charge for members and nonmembers. Dessert and coffee will be served. RSVP with Rachel Ruth, 504.897.0143, rachel@nojcc.org.