After the election, our commitment to immigrants remains.

Dear Friends,  

The election results are in. And one of the most powerful images of this moment is of people placing their “I Voted” stickers on memorials honoring those who lost their lives while protecting their immigrant neighbors. To me, those small stickers represent something much bigger than an election. They represent courage, solidarity, remembrance, and a promise to continue showing up for one another.   

As an immigrant myself, I know that belonging is more than a word. It is the feeling of being welcomed, of knowing that your children can dream about their future without fear, and of having the opportunity to contribute to the community you call home.  

As a mother and community organizer, I have learned that meaningful change doesn't happen only at the ballot box. It happens when neighbors stand together, when we build relationships across differences, and when we recognize that our communities are stronger because of the people who call them home.  

At Manzanita House, this is the work we do every day. Through immigration legal services, community power building, resource navigation, and cultural education, we walk alongside immigrant and refugee families as they build deeper roots in Spokane. But our work is about more than providing services. It is about dignity, opportunity, and creating spaces where everyone has a voice and a place at the table.  

Will you make a gift today to help us reach our goal of serving 2,000 immigrant neighbors in 2027? 

We invite you to help us make that possible. Your one-time gift helps families today. A monthly contribution sustains our work throughout the year. And by inviting friends and family to support Manzanita House, you help grow a community committed to seeing our immigrant neighbors flourish.   

Regardless of election results, our commitment remains the same. We must continue building the kind of community we want our children to inherit: one rooted in welcome, compassion, justice, opportunity, and belonging. These are our neighbors. They are part of us. And their belonging is not up for a vote. 

Those stickers left at the memorials remind us that honoring courage is not only about remembering the past. It is about what we choose to do next. Together, we are not simply helping immigrants build a future. We are building a stronger, more welcoming Inland Northwest for everyone.  

En solidaridad,   

Pat Castaneda, Executive Director