In the past eleven months – eight of which were shrouded by the pandemic – Pars Equality Center (Pars) has accomplished much on behalf of our clients. Working remotely and, at times, 6 feet apart, our centers in San Jose and Los Angeles have filed around 500 immigration cases and conducted over 2,000 legal consultations;we held on average 3 monthly virtual immigration workshops and reached out to 48,620 individuals via phonebanking to make sure they participated in the census.
Our Emergency Food Assistance Program in Los Angeles ensured that 467 low-income families have food on the table during these challenging times and our “Let’s Feed LA” initiative is set to provide gift cards to 520 households by the end of this year. Other pandemic related initiatives include our COVID-19 Financial Assistance programs in San Jose and Los Angeles, issuing checks between $500 and $2000 to 78 households; and our Santa Clara County Covid-19 Rental Assistance scheme, paying rent owed by 15 extremely low-income households in the country.
We have assisted more than 1500 community members file for unemployment benefits and dedicated a website page to our COVID-19 Response & Resources with vital information translated in Farsi. We have kept our promises to improve the wellness of our senior citizens by continuing the Silver Club programs, like yoga and meditation, on Pars Telegram and YouTube channels.
It has been a tremendous privilege to serve our community to the extent possible during these difficult times. To our supporters who are able to assist those who have been severely affected by the pandemic, we request that you consider donating on #GivingTuesday for a chance to double your contributions. To donate, please click HERE.