Representatives from various Justice For Our Neighbors (JFON) chapters gathered at University United Methodist Church, San Antonio on April 4-5 for the 2nd Annual Texas Immigration Summit. The gathering was a place for collaboration, learning, and sharing.

John Burnam, a local fundraising consultant, helped the agencies realize the impact of individual donors. National JFON Staff Rob Rutland-Brown and Melissa Bowe led workshops on developing and recruiting board members.

“A greater collegiality was achieved during this year’s meeting because last year we were all strangers,” said San Antonio Region JFON Director Rev. Suzanne Isaacs. “We came in this year knowing more about each other to help us move forward.”

A joint effort from the six Texas JFON chapters is expected in the future, with a focus on the faces of immigration and how these people were helped.

“There is strength we can present as one unified voice,” said Austin JFON Director Saul Pacheco. “We are working much closer together. We can do this work better knowing we are not alone. It is holy work.”

The JFON chapters represented at the 2018 Texas Immigration Summit:

·      Dallas-Fort Worth Region

·      Austin Region

·      San Antonio Region

·      Houston

·      East Texas

·      Corpus Christi

JFON was started by UMCOR in 1996 to assist with the immigrants and refugees coming to the United States. JFON is an immigration ministry of the United Methodist Church.