Patrick F. Daly P.S. 15 in Red Hook is leading efforts to support 20 migrant families facing housing challenges amid the city’s ongoing migrant crisis.
Photo courtesy of Unsplash
Educators at Patrick F. Daly P.S. 15 in Red Hook are urging the community to step up and support 20 migrant families whose children have enrolled at the school amid New York City’s ongoing migrant crisis.
P.S. 15, a small 3K through fifth grade elementary school on Sullivan Street, is known for its “progressive approach to education” and its tight-knit community.
The families, described by organizers of a GoFundMe campaign as having “quickly become an integral part” of the school community, are struggling with critical needs, including housing. The campaign aims to raise funds to help the “20 courageous immigrant families” find a permanent place to live.
“They came to this country desperately looking for better conditions for their children,” wrote campaign organizer Alanna Howe and team member Sam Coleman, educators at P.S.15. “Many of them traveled for months with small children in terrifyingly difficult conditions.”
New York City has been grappling with a surge of migrants in recent years, many of whom have arrived seeking asylum. The city has seen thousands of newcomers since the spring of 2022, straining resources and putting pressure on schools, shelters, and community organizations. Since then, numbers have tapered off and some shelters have closed, but those who remain are still in need of help, organizers said.
Many of the families enrolled at P.S. 15 hail from Venezuela, Ecuador, Honduras and Peru, and are finding themselves in increasingly difficult housing situations. They are under pressure to leave nongovernment-funded shelters, leaving their immediate futures uncertain.
Howe and Coleman’s efforts come as concerns grow about potential policy shifts under the incoming presidential administration. They fear the migrant families of P.S. 15 will be even more vulnerable after Jan. 20.
“They have been working hard since they arrived in the U.S., but housing is impossible, and without permission to work, it’s a tough landscape,” organizers said.
The campaign aims to provide $2,000 to each family to support them in their search for permanent housing.
As of Tuesday, the GoFundMe has raised more than half of its $40,000 goal.