By Brooke Niemer
Yesterday afternoon we visited Northwest Justice Project (NJP) where we listened to a presentation about what NJP does and specific details about the H2A program. The H2A program for migrant farmworkers is something that has been discussed throughout our time so far on the immersion, but we still had a lot of unknowns. This presentation provided the specifics of what it covered, how it worked, and who it was intended for. One thing that stood out to me is when they showed an example of an H2A visa which explicitly stated the dates of when they would be considered documented within the U.S. This stood out to me because the effects of their labor will have a much longer effect than their time for this particular visa since they are helping provide fresh produce to people which will have a positive effect on their health. One of the presenters is a Jesuit Volunteer, and we continued our time together during dinner.
After we visited NJP, we walked over to the Yakima house for the Jesuit Volunteer Corps NW and had a community dinner with them. Four people who we had never met before invited us into their house and community for dinner and a lively conversation. One thing that stood out to me was their passion for making connections and community. We were able to hear about how they chose JVC, their service placements and what their role is, the history of the JVC house, and the fun things that they engage in. They also asked very thought-provoking questions about our immersion and what brought us here, which made me feel very welcomed in their community. Their generosity and kindness are something that I will always remember.