A safe space to seek opportunity
“When I was growing up, the treat was going to McDonald’s on the weekend. It wasn’t until I was an adult that I realized my mom never got anything,” says Elizabeth Orozco-Vasquez, who immigrated to the United States as a child, along with her mother. “It was just the fries or chicken nuggets that I would leave behind that she was having for the day.”
Today, her mother’s sacrifices and her own experiences as a first-generation immigrant guide Orozco-Vasquez’s work as CEO of Freedom House Detroit, a grantee partner of the Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan. The southwest Detroit-based nonprofit supports individuals and families seeking humanitarian protection or asylum.
Honoring Freedom House Detroit
The Community Foundation recently honored Freedom House Detroit with its 2024 Richard F. Huegli Award for Program Excellence, which recognizes nonprofits that have high standards in human services programming and a belief in human potential.
The Community Foundation has a long history of supporting human services organizations like Freedom House Detroit, which has received grants related to its LGBTQ+ community-building, general operations and workforce readiness programming.
“Freedom House has been a vital partner, helping us grow our understanding of and investment in immigrant- and refugee-serving organizations,” says Surabhi Pandit, the Community Foundation’s director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion & Community Engagement. “The gap in service provision for these populations is one that groups like Freedom House are working hard to close, all while building community awareness and cohesiveness in our region.”
Supporting thriving communities
Freedom House Detroit’s clients, many of whom were tortured in their countries of origin, don’t yet have access to government benefits or employment opportunities in the United States. The nonprofit offers them support as they go through the complicated, costly and often lonely process of applying for protection here or in Canada. This includes providing access to legal counsel, employment services, medical and mental health care, a safe home, food, clothing and internet access for up to two years.
Orozco-Vasquez says almost 100% of those who graduate from Freedom House Detroit’s programs become independent. This allows them to help build community, fill gaps in the labor force, and even launch businesses that employ other people in our region, she says.
“When I see people at Freedom House, they remind me of my own family. I wish we would have had that kind of support,” Orozco-Vasquez says. “This work has nothing to do with politics. It all has to do with being a good neighbor, a good human being, and helping those in your community. Helping your community thrive is really important.”
This story originally appeared in the 2023-2024 Annual Report