XORJE OLIVARES AND HEYXORJE.COM TEAM UP WITH REFUGEE SERVICES OF TEXAS

Not Just a Toy Campaign

DALLAS, TEXAS, December 2018- With the disturbing images from this past weekend of emigrating families struggling to breathe amid government-sanctioned tear-gassing, and federal agencies using their authority in a way that amounts to complicity that is beyond infuriating, Xorje Olivares has taken on a new mission. Partnering up with Refugee Services of Texas (RST), Xorje’s campaign project “Toys for Tornillo” (#Toys4Tornillo) has expanded to deliver more than just toys this holiday. The new campaign, “Not Just a Toy,” has begun collecting cash donations for a variety of immigrant groups in Texas and will continue through December 18.

RST recently celebrated its fortieth year of providing direct services to displaced persons now living in the United States, including refugees, asylees and survivors of human trafficking. With six sites across the state, including a developing site in the Rio Grande Valley, RST served 1,158 clients last year, including 40 percent of the refugees resettled in the state. Funds raised through “Not Just a Toy” will give clients in the Rio Grande Valley a chance to achieve self-sufficiency with dignity, after a long and arduous journey of victimization and persecution.

“Imagine being met with violence after traveling hundreds of miles to escape it,” exclaims Xorje Olivares, host of Affirmative Reaction on SiriusXM Progress Channel 127 (Saturdays 12p ET). “Then, imagine after spending weeks reassuring your children that freedom is near, having to run for safety but not knowing where to run -- since you're strangers in the borderland. Survival and asking for asylum should NEVER be this hard and yet here we are.”

“The entire immigration situation, as it's being handled by our current administration, fuels my activism as a border native, as it does countless others nationwide…” says Xorje “Nearly 44,000 immigrants in detention, roughly 14,000 of which are youth, it's apparent that a lot needs to be done to assist those who are either lost in the system or victims of a broken one.”

Together, Xorje Olivares, HeyXorje.com, and Refugee Services of Texas are on a mission to raise $20,000 to impact those from Mexico and far beyond who are seeking a route to safety in the U.S. Funds will be used to support clients’ basic needs including shelter, food, clothing, healthcare and legal assistance. Service recipients receive case management services and employment assistance, as well cultural orientation and English classes through RST.

“Our clients come with no other physical belongings than the clothes on their backs,” says RST CEO, Russell Smith. “We want to give them a wonderful holiday this year, but more than just toys are needed. With recent cuts in federal funding and a record low cap on the number of refugees entering the country, we need the people of Texas to rally around refugees and displaced peoples and show them that we are a place of refuge and support.”

For more information or to donate, visit:

https://www.gofundme.com/toys-for-tornillo

www.rstx.org

@HeyXorje @XorjeO #Toys4Tornillo

IMMIGRANT CHILDREN NEED YOUR HELP

RST's Unaccompanied Children Program serves kids who are released from immigration detention centers but don't have any parental or guardian support in the United States. RST provides home studies to ensure the homes the children are placed in are suitable and case management for the children to get them access to support services like mental healthcare, food assistance, and education.

This program is already seeing an influx of clients due to the "Zero Tolerance" immigration policies currently in place. We need your help to ensure we have enough staff and resources to help these children.