Mission
The mission of Americans Making Immigrants Safe (AMIS) is to inspire hope and contribute to the well-being
of immigrants and their families on their path to self-sufficiency, as they seek legal status in the United
States by providing financial resources for housing, legal representation, and basic living expense
History
AMIS was founded in 2019 by a group of compassionate volunteers who saw the unmet need of
supporting asylum seekers who were arriving in Cleveland to escape torture and death in their home
countries. AMIS’s history includes providing funding to asylum seekers and other immigrants in
Cleveland and Cuyahoga County who receive little or no government benefits while they await their
work permits and processing of their asylum claims.
AMIS’ 9-member board, of which 5 members are founding members of the organization, are very active in planning and executing our mission. Over the four and a half years of AMIS’ work, we have grown our contributions to recipients from $11,435 in 2019 to $83,479 in 2023. Since our founding, we have raised $293,237 from private donations which has enabled us to assist immigrants from over 25 countries. We have developed expertise over that time in how to best help asylees and have a large base of volunteers who assist asylum seekers in a variety of ways.
What We Do
Amnesty International describes an asylum seeker as a person who has left their home country and is
seeking protection from persecution and serious human rights violations in another country, and is
waiting to receive a decision on their asylum claim. Due to asylum seekers traumatic experiences, they
not only require a great deal of assistance with basic needs, but also emotional support. AMIS takes a
personal approach to helping asylum seekers and immigrants move toward self-sufficiency.
AMIS is the only local nonprofit which has a major emphasis on assisting asylum seekers. Our goal is to
move recipients from crisis to stabilization to self-sufficiency. The financial assistance we provide
includes: housing/rent, moving expenses, utilities, food, clothing, medical expenses, furniture,
household supplies, mental health counseling, and more.
AMIS partners with Northeast Ohio Friends of Immigrants tapping on volunteers who give of their time
to help with activities that may not require funds, but do require time and assistance. They help to: find
safe, affordable housing, access donated furniture and household goods, register children for school,
take to food pantry or ethnic shop, register for free/low-cost medical/dental care, transport to medical
appointments, school and other, find needed clothing, build a relationship, and provide moral support.
Program Statistics 2023
- Helped 148 individuals in 2023 with
- Provided $86,598 in direct financial assistance
- Engaged 85 volunteers
- 32% of AMIS recipients were from African countries
- 49% of AMIS recipients from Central and South American countries
- 18% from other countries around the world.
Program Statistics 2022
- Helped 70 individuals in 2022
- Provided $66,380 in direct financial assistance
- Engaged 70 volunteers