April 26, 2018

In my April column, I listed a variety of ways Lakeshore has participated in the work of Sanctuary in the past year. In this column, I will highlight some important ways you can join in our work in the weeks and months ahead. Supporting and standing in solidarity with the migrant community in our midst is an important way we live out our current church theme Love One Another: Building Relationships, Bringing Hope.
Strength From Our Roots – 3-5 p.m. Sunday, April 29, at Taylor Memorial United Methodist Church (1188 W. 12th St). This concert will celebrate the cre-ative spirit of congregations working on Sanctuary in Oakland. We also will celebrate with Interfaith Movement for Human Integrity as they pass their Exec-utive Director baton from Rev. Dr. Art Cribbs to Rev. Deborah Lee.
ICE on Trial: A People’s Tribunal – 11 a.m. -1 p.m. Saturday, May 5, at West County Detention Center (5555 Giant Highway). This is part of a national se-ries of events holding ICE accountable for their culture of secrecy and systemic abuses of power. In light of ICE’s current practices, I find myself frequently pro-claiming: it is a criminal act to treat innocent people as criminals.
Immigrant Day in Sacramento – May 14. A day-long event advocating for the inclusion of immigrants in the following California safety nets: the Affordable Care Act, CalFresh, and Cal Earned Income Tax Credit.
Sanctuary: Caminando Hacia la Libertad – June 1-2 at Islamic Cultural Center of Northern California (1433 Madison St., Oakland). This two-day convening will provide current information, resource sharing and networking opportunities for all who want to engage in Sanctuary work in the Bay Area.
May all who seek sanctuary in Oakland find refuge and protection.
Allison