The Best Way to Support Our Mission? Don't Give Us Your Money

Nearly $20,000 pledged to Project Salt Box could do more immediate good at Asylee Women Enterprise.

Baltimore man writes newsletter; must explain himself on national TV.

A quick ask, for our friends old and new.

To everyone who’s been with us from the start — thank you for believing in us. To everyone who found us after the Rachel Maddow show last night — welcome, and thank you, too! We’re honestly a little overwhelmed.

We woke up this morning to nearly $20,000 in pledges. Let it never be said that you are not passionate, generous people.

Since we started Project Salt Box two months ago, people have been asking how they can help. Some of you have offered to volunteer. Others have investigative leads or technical skills. Many of you, wanting to help but unsure how, offered money.

To be honest, we’ve been torn on the topic of money. Right now, we feel the best way to help us achieve our mission — keeping our neighbors safe, whether they’re here in Baltimore or our American neighbors at large — is to give that money to someone who needs it more than we do.

In our work, we keep finding organizations that are doing what policy often fails to do — showing up for people when it matters most.

Asylee Women Enterprise is one of those organizations.

For a decade, AWE has operated out of a building at St. Anthony’s Parish in Baltimore. People escaping systems of violence and oppression around the world have found their way here to Charm City and been met with welcoming arms by their new neighbors at AWE. And in turn, they have made that space a home.

This summer, AWE is losing that building. The Baltimore Archdiocese is selling the property, and AWE tried to buy it, offered higher rent, explained what losing the space would mean to their clients, but the Archdiocese said no.

Now think about what $20,000 could do in a situation like that. It could help AWE secure a new space. It could keep their job training programs running through a move. It could mean that when someone arrives in Baltimore having fled everything, there’s still somewhere to go.

We’re keeping our pledge option open — there may come a time when we need financial support. But right now, we’re asking you to redirect whatever you were going to give us to AWE instead. You can donate at asyleewomen.org. Tell them Project Salt Box sent you, if you’d like.

If you’ve reached out to volunteer your time, your skills, your energy — we see you, and we’ll be in touch! We’re still digging out from our inbox.

There's a lot of work that matters. Organizing your neighbors. Testifying at public hearings. Driving people to immigration hearings. Hosting community meals. Documenting what's happening in your community. Sharing information about resources and rights. And if you can't do any of the above, but you have the cash to spare — supporting AWE right now, when they're losing their building and need help keeping their doors open, is work that matters too.

- Team PSB