Faces of Hope Guest Speaker

OUR TOPIC: 
What does true compassion look like on the front lines of the border crisis?

We are deeply honored to welcome Ceci Herrera, a fearless volunteer with the Franciscan Network for Migrants, as our upcoming guest speaker. For over half a century, Ceci has dedicated her life to serving families as a social worker, counselor, and advocate. Today, she steps inside Camp East Montana—the largest immigrant detention center at Fort Bliss, Texas, located on the grounds of a former Japanese-American internment camp—to bring dignity and hope to those held inside.

Ceci’s impact is deeply personal to our community. She regularly visited Jose Enrique, the father of a migrant family our Saint Anne Migrant and Refugee Ministry mentors in partnership with Catholic Charities. After 8 agonizing months in detention, Jose Enrique was finally released. Ceci and her husband, Dr. Jose Herrera, personally welcomed him in El Paso and worked hand-in-hand with us to coordinate an unforgettable family reunification. Ceci volunteers because of a fierce, unwavering conviction: every single person deserves to be received with respect, compassion, and hospitality

Turning Compassion Into Action

Since launching in 2023, our Migrant & Refugee Ministry has turned that same conviction into reality. Backed by the incredible generosity of the greater Barrington community, Chicago churches & organizations and local nonprofits, we have:

• Formally mentored 6 families on their courageous journeys toward self-sufficiency.
• Helped furnish over 85 apartments with essential furniture, household items, clothes, and toys.

The hurdles our new neighbors face—legal services, emergency rent, utility bills, and finding sustainable employment—are steep but we have been helping with those challenges as well. With an expanding network of partners and volunteers, we refuse to let them walk alone.

Why You Should Consider Attending 

This event is more than a presentation; it is an invitation to be part of a calling to help new neighbors who are facing an obstacle-ridden landscape. By attending, you will:

• Hear Ceci’s inspiring first-hand stories from the El Paso & Juárez 
• Learn about the impact our ministry is making right here in Chicagoland
• Explore the many tangible ways you can volunteer to get involved and bring hope to families seeking a fresh start.

Join us to listen, learn, and lift up our new neighbors. Your presence lights the way forward! 

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Read more about Ceci and the “Power of Networks” in this article by the Franciscan Network for Migrants here: https://redfranciscana.org/en/power-network/.

To donate to St. Anne Migrant & Refugee Ministry please visit stannebarrington.org/give and under Direct My Gift, select “Migrant Ministry."