Latinx and reeling from the shooting in El Paso? These Philly orgs have your back

“When you see and hear that it was your community that was directly targeted by white supremacy, that messes with you.”

Miguel Andrade, the communications manager of Juntos, spoke to Generocity this morning about the community-centered healing/safe space that Juntos, GALAEI and Make the Road PA are opening at the William Way LGBT Community Center this Thursday from 5 to 7 p.m.

“We wanted to create a space where community could be with each other and process the tragedies that occurred,” Andrade said. “The feelings people are experiencing are reminiscent of how folks felt after the Pulse shooting in Orlando, and since GALAEI had held a similar community gathering around then, it made sense to partner with them and create a safe space for the broader Latinx community.”

According to the FB page for El Pueblo Vive:Community HealingSpace Remembering El Paso/Dayton,  the event seeks to bring community together “in solidarity and love to help each other heal. All are welcomed to this event but people of color will be centered and prioritized. Please feel free to bring food or snacks so that we may break bread together as a community.”

Juntos, GALAEI and Make the Road PA are creating healing space Aug. 8 for those impacted by the El Paso and Dayton mass shootings.

Andrade doesn’t have a sense of how many people might show up, but he said the room at William Way can fit around 150 people.

“We’re hoping people see the event and feel compelled to attend,” he added.

In addition, a national vigil, #ElPasoFirme: A call to action against white supremacy, will take place tonight in multiple cities and towns across the U.S.

In the wake of the El Paso mass shooting, a national vigil will take place Aug. 7, 2019.

There are no vigils scheduled yet for Philadelphia, but there are two in New Jersey: one at 6:30 p.m. at Casa Freehold in Freehold, and the other at 7 p.m. at 78 Bayard St. in New Brunswick. For more information, click here.