A Nashville Latinx group is relieving the financial stress that the COVID-19 pandemic has put on some undocumented residents.
The group, Movements Including X (or The M.I.X), is made up of mostly teenagers and young adults who are managing what’s known as a mutual aid project.
They volunteered to raise $10,000 from residents and distributed it to people in the area within five weeks. The main goal is to give residents back their power and fill gaps created by the government.
That’s the case for Felipe Sepulveda. Last year when indoor dining at restaurants closed, he couldn’t go into work for three months. He’s worked as a food runner at a 12South restaurant since 2013.
“I had some savings,” he explains. “And there was just for food and rent. We have to stop paying every everything else, like my credit cards.”
He applied to several nonprofits that got relief money from the government. He submitted paperwork showing his electricity, rent and gas bills. But they ghosted him.
In general, providing proof can be a hurdle for undocumented residents because they may not have the bills listed in their names. And some residents may not have internet access.
The Mix is trying to cut through the red tape and get people help quickly.
“That’s how the community takes care of each other,” organizer Ashley Rivera says. “That’s just you just understanding and recognizing humanity. Understanding and recognizing everyone has value and has plenty to offer. Like these are not just like really poor unfortunate souls or anything like that. This is Nashville. This is our people. This is what we do.”
The organization doesn’t dictate what residents spend the money on either, unlike most government-funded programs. Most people interacting with The M.I.X. say they wanted it for rent, food or medical bills.
The Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition has advocated for the local government to remove barriers when distributing help.
“We have seen improvements and will continue to work with city officials to highlight and uplift the needs and concerns of immigrant communities,” a spokesperson tells WPLN via email. TIRRC says having information in multiple languages and providing help through the phone and in-person would reduce some of the hassle.
Last year, Nashville officials surveyed resident needs and how to address them. At one-point, Hispanic residents weren’t getting the pandemic relief that officials knew they needed.
There will be another chance for Nashville to support people, since the city is waiting to get the next round of pandemic relief from the feds. The mayor has already made clear that some of the money will be earmarked for housing.
But so far, the city’s finance department says it hasn’t been determined what residents will need to do to get help.
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