Pilgrimage to Ellis Island

On July 4, 2017, I will begin a 220 mile Pilgrimage to Ellis Island to raise $20,000 to fund the MIRA Coalition and EdLumino. Both organizations work directly with the immigrant and refugee populations to provide advocacy, support, education, and integration into their new communities.

I feel passionately about supporting these organizations, because we stand at a crux in our history. Daily we are bombarded with news reports of hate crimes and deportations of minorities in the US. Today we have the largest refugee population since World War II; the UNHCR reports that there 65.3 million people forcibly displaced worldwide. Since the first landing of the Pilgrims in 1620, America has been a refuge for people fleeing from oppression and terror. I personally understand what it is to leave everything I know and reach out to strangers for help. At the age of fifteen, I fled an abusive family in search of a place I could call home, with people who could be supportive and loving. Thirty years later, I am in a position to pay forward what has freely been given to me. We are a nation of “give us your tired, hungry, and poor,” and I am here to stand up for this value. I am deeply committed to walk the miles and support the immigrants and refugees, during the most vulnerable time in their lives. I’ve asked myself many times - if I don’t then who will?
My Pilgrimage begins at Plymouth (Rock), Massachusetts. From this historic place, I will walk in between 18 to 23 miles per day to reach New York City by July 14th. During my journey, I gather stories of the people I meet on my journey and share them on my website. There are millions of immigrant stories waiting to be told, and I want my website to be a place where their voices can be heard. On July 16th, the Final Stage of the Pilgrimage: one mile from New York City Hall Plaza to the Statue Ferry terminal at Battery Park, where I’ll embark to Ellis Island. Over 12 million immigrants came through the Island between 1892 and 1954. Joined by my friends and supporters, we’ll participate in the symbolic journey of all immigrants and refugees. Ellis Island stands as a beacon of new beginnings. My hope is that the Pilgrimage to Ellis Island will shed light on an undeniable fact: We are all refugees and immigrants, searching for a safe place to land.