Jeanine Mason Instagram – During our visit, we were able to witness firsthand the services the city provides to these families and distributed 700 winter coats to every resident at the shelter for the upcoming weather. A wildly full circle moment for me! When my family immigrated to this country from Cuba, they were given coats through a federal program at the Freedom Tower in Miami before journeying to Connecticut for their first winter. I spent the morning talking to my mom about how she still remembers that moment and generosity. Thank you to @thisisabouthumanity for bringing community together in service of others and to the @nycemergencymanagement @zachiscol for coordinating the visit. These public servants are doing everything they can but the system is overrun and we need to take more steps to welcome people with dignity, to build more safe and humane immigration pathways, and to provide much more aid to cities like New York and others so they’re not left to burden this on their own. We all have a role to play, and that is why I encourage people to advocate for these policy changes and to follow @thisisabouthumanity, @immdef_lawcenter, and @fwdus to stay up-to-date on immigration policies and to learn about volunteer opportunities as they become available. #WelcomeWithDignity #ThisisAboutHumanity (Photos by @ericapress.jpg)