Youth Development
Offering young Latinos alternatives to gang involvement with entertainment, volunteer opportunities, and educational activities. CIR regularly hosts movie nights, video game competitions, field trips, and jewelry making classes for teens, as well as classes in auto mechanics and Spanish literacy at our office in Raleigh, and volunteer opportunities to fulfill high school graduation service requirements. We also assist churches with creating specific programs to meet the needs of immigrants in their community, as part of our efforts to foster lasting relationships between churches and the communities they serve.
Community Development
Networking businesses, government, and churches to develop at-risk immigrant communities into safe, healthy and prosperous communities. We believe in asset-based community development, helping churches and organizations to avoid a paternalistic mindset in dealing with immigrant communities, working with them to discover and develop untapped potential. Every initiative is guided by our desire to help immigrant communities by giving them the knowledge, resources, and support needed to facilitate growth and connect to society at large, whether it be assistance in starting and growing businesses, classes in financial literacy, or events encouraging women to expand the roles that they play within their community.
CIR's Immigrant Legal Advocacy Network
Seeks to educate and engage people by providing solutions for legal and advocacy issues affecting immigrants. Legal assistance is one of the greatest needs in immigrant communities right now; an estimated 50 to 80% of immigrants have unmet legal needs. CILAN offers evangelical churches the opportunity to meet these needs by partnering with area attorneys and hosting a one-day legal clinic. Those wishing to become more involved can become certified by the Board of Immigration Appeals to handle legal issues themselves. We have partnered Immigrant Hope to offer the coursework necessary, and offer general oversight and assistance to churches with the on the job training requirements and application process.
CILAN allows us to build a strategic coalition among evangelicals at the state level that is adaptable to the changing nature of immigration in this country. This network can quickly be mobilized to handle new legal immigration issues (such as UACs, DACA renewals, executive action or other immigration reform). CILAN also helps evangelicals engage in immigration advocacy efforts, both from the pulpit and their community, harnessing their tremendous political leverage to help policymakers understand and better appreciate the needs and assets of the Latino community. At the same time, the network gives us additional opportunities to meet, develop, and partner with promising evangelical Latino leaders, offering them a chance to tell their story to other churches, policymakers, and community leaders, as well as in printed communications.
CIR has created The Shepherd Project as a program within CILAN to meet the legal, emotional, and financial needs of the unaccompanied minors arriving in North Carolina from Central America.
On the advocacy front, CILAN is working closely with the NC Governor’s Council on Latino Affairs to write a recommendation for the Governor regarding in-state tuition for all North Carolinians, including immigrants - with the goal of introducing and passing legislation in the House and Senate. CILAN will also work to generate additional support for the proposal from the business and faith communities.
Immigrant Legal Network
Immigrant Legal Network provides low cost legal assistance to immigrants, helping families to navigate the legal system with preliminary intake, case management, and filing with USCIS or referrals to appropriate legal council. Since we began handling immigration claims in 2013, our work has been in steady demand, counseling more than 150 individuals.
The Shepherd Project
Responding to the legal, emotional and financial needs created by the presence of these unaccompanied children at our borders and now in our communities.
CILAN allows us to build a strategic coalition among evangelicals at the state level that is adaptable to the changing nature of immigration in this country. This network can quickly be mobilized to handle new legal immigration issues (such as UACs, DACA renewals, executive action or other immigration reform). CILAN also helps evangelicals engage in immigration advocacy efforts, both from the pulpit and their community, harnessing their tremendous political leverage to help policymakers understand and better appreciate the needs and assets of the Latino community. At the same time, the network gives us additional opportunities to meet, develop, and partner with promising evangelical Latino leaders, offering them a chance to tell their story to other churches, policymakers, and community leaders, as well as in printed communications.
CIR has created The Shepherd Project as a program within CILAN to meet the legal, emotional, and financial needs of the unaccompanied minors arriving in North Carolina from Central America.
On the advocacy front, CILAN is working closely with the NC Governor’s Council on Latino Affairs to write a recommendation for the Governor regarding in-state tuition for all North Carolinians, including immigrants - with the goal of introducing and passing legislation in the House and Senate. CILAN will also work to generate additional support for the proposal from the business and faith communities.
Immigrant Legal Network
Immigrant Legal Network provides low cost legal assistance to immigrants, helping families to navigate the legal system with preliminary intake, case management, and filing with USCIS or referrals to appropriate legal council. Since we began handling immigration claims in 2013, our work has been in steady demand, counseling more than 150 individuals.
The Shepherd Project
Responding to the legal, emotional and financial needs created by the presence of these unaccompanied children at our borders and now in our communities.