Nuestros hijos
As of November 2023, over 20,000 Venezuelans have arrived in Chicago. Nuestros hijos (Our Kids) is a project aimed at identifying and easing the burdens of these families who have medically complex and/or disabled children. This frequently means sourcing medically appropriate formulas, medications, and wheelchairs, while helping families to access community, medical care, and school (sometimes for the first time ever).
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Almost every single one of our families arrives without enough medication or formula for a week, without a working phone, and, frequently, carrying their quadriplegic child. Project Nuestros Hijos provides them with the basics for their kids (medication, a wheelchair, a phone, and formula) and also connects the to a community of families who require the same things and a wider Chicago volunteer network.
Donate to Project Nuestros directly through our GoFundMe right here.
Identify & Stabilize
Often the way we first hear about these kids is on a social media post looking for a pediatric wheelchair for a newly arrived family. These kids have been on long journeys and frequently need ER visits, medications, food, and advocacy to get them into the right shelter. We rely heavily on volunteers, donations, and community equipment lending closets to check off this first step.
Resource
While families of medically complex kids are some of the most resourceful on the planet, these families need to get to know providers, agencies, services, and one another fast. Luckily, we have a growing network of parents who have experience and know who to call for what. We are eager to teach our new neighbors everything they want to know.
Empower
It is hard to do much to top the empowerment of people who have just carried their children over 7 continents to get them care. They are leaders that our community needs and we try to get them information and connections to put their minds at ease that they have found what they need so that they can go on to be the superstars they always were.
