Lewes women heading south to help migrant families

When Cece Cardano saw a news report about a Mississippi community reeling from raids by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents, her heart sank. 

“What really got me was when they were trying to interview a child,” she said. “I saw that raw look of fear on the child’s face that they get when they are worried about the well-being of their parent.”

As an educator, she said, she’s experienced that before.

“It is very difficult to see a child worried and fearful about not knowing where their mother is,” she said.

With nearly 700 people arrested in the Morton, Miss. raids, the fabric of the local community has weakened, and families are in desperate need of help, she said.

Cece and her cousin Donna Cardano will travel to central Mississippi Thursday, Sept. 26, to drop off donations and volunteer in the community. They have been collecting money – more than $2,000 so far – and supplies such as food, toiletries and cleaning products to take with them.

The Lewes residents will hold an open house Monday, Sept. 23, to collect money and supplies. Folks can drop by from 4 to 6 p.m. at 139 Franklin Ave., Lewes. Checks should be made out to Morton Hispanic Relief Fund.

Donna is a recently retired teacher. During her tenure, she worked with English as a Second Language students, many of whom were children of migrant workers.

She said it hits close to home because the Cape Region is the site of chicken processing plants similar to those raided in Mississippi.

“It could’ve been here,” Donna said. “It could’ve been our community.”

In talking with people from the raided Mississippi community over the phone, Cece said, they’ve learned a great deal about how raids affected the community.

“These chicken plants are the backbone of their economy,” she said. “These families that work in these factories have been immersed in this community for 10 to 15 years. It’s been a trickle-down effect because the small chicken farmers aren’t selling to the plants. The plants aren’t selling to the local restaurants. The whole local economy is being affected.”

The money that’s raised will be donated to the Morton Hispanic Relief Fund, which pays for the mortgage or rent and utilities for affected families. Cece said some people who have been released from detention centers are under house arrest, forced to wear ankle monitors, and they are unable to work. That makes it very difficult for families to stay in their homes, she said.

“Donna and I feel like if we can keep children in their homes through all this upheaval and give them the stability of their home life, then that’s a good thing,” Cece said.

The women have challenged the Lewes community to contribute to their effort. They wrote a letter outlining their mission and distributed it to friends, family and at the silent vigil in support of migrant families held biweekly along Savannah Road at the Zwaanendael Museum.

They’ve also had great support from the Rev. Earle Baker and the congregation of Bethel United Methodist Church, where they regularly attend. Baker included the project in the weekly bulletin, then highlighted it during Sunday services.

Once all donations are collected, the women will drive more than 17 hours to Mississippi. They will volunteer Saturday at St. Anne Church in Carthage, attend Sunday church at Morton Methodist Church, then volunteer at the church help center Monday.

“Our hope is that we can take them things they can really use, and we can let them know a lot of people in our area really care about what’s happening,” Cece said.

“They may not be able to hear, see or know our community, but they’ll know there are people here who support them and care,” Donna said.