The Two Best Friends, Lorna Plana and Naomi Stenson, Working to Supply Children Afraid to Leave Home for School.

Educators and parents around the Twin Cities in Minnesota have donated everything for immigrant families afraid to leave their homes.

The sun is setting and the temperature dropping to -22 when Minneapolis area teachers Naomi Stenson and Lorna Plana lift the hatch on Plana’s minivan and load it with supplies for children afraid to leave their homes.

Rolling past homes still decked in Christmas lights, the best friends deliver water, bags of groceries and much more, all donated by educators and parents in their community.  “It could be toilet paper, deodorant, cleaning supplies,” says Plana.  “Or care bags of Play-Doh, art supplies, books, puzzles and games — because the kids need something to play with — and of course, we take work from teacher to continue students learning at home.”

Since early January, immigrant families have been hiding in their homes, too scared to go to the grocery store or send their children to the school bus stop.  Whether Native or newcomer, for Black, brown and Indigenous people in these school communities, including US citizens, any trip outside of the homes means risking harassment, assault, arrest and detention by federal agents.

Children should be in schools learning, not hiding in fear from masked government agents, Minnesota educators say.  The sight of another vacant desk, or an empty square on the kindergarten reading rug, is breaking their hearts.

This has galvanized these two teachers.  While Minnesota educators are sad and scared, they’re also determined.  And they’re doing what National Education Members do:  getting organized, standing in solidarity with parents and making sure their chldren have what they need.  Schools already are the hubs of communities.  Now they’re also the grocery stores, laundromats and even the banks, in some cases.

“Teachers and school staff are the ones who have trust with families.  So many people want to hellp, but right now we are the people who can do this,” says Plana, as she turns her minivan down another vacant street.  “We’re not superheroes, adds Stenson.  “We’re all just regular people — doing small things,” she says.  “But those small things can add up.”

This story was provided by the National Education Association  based in Washington, DC.