Where Help Is Needed Now
These are current special projects and urgent situations where your support can make an immediate, life-changing difference.
Every dollar and every hour makes a real difference.
Help Harit Rajesh: Detained Without a Removal Order, Sick, and Without Support
Harit Rajesh, 49, entered the United States legally on a B-2 visitor visa in September 2019. He applied for asylum in March 2020, and USCIS granted him employment authorization through March 2029 based on his pending asylum application. He has no criminal record and no removal order. ICE detained him on September 3, 2026, while he was picking up lunch.
His ICE medical records document tremors and concerns about possible Parkinson's disease. He has also reported partial blindness, bladder problems, and other medical conditions. His father died of Parkinson's disease, making the uncertainty about his own health especially frightening. He is not receiving the ongoing care and medication he needs in detention.
His Situation at a Glance
- Detained since September 3, 2026 — picked up while getting lunch
- No removal order — detained under 8 U.S.C. § 1226(a)
- Federal habeas petition filed; government bond hearing was scheduled for October 1; federal judge's decision still pending as of October 28
- ICE medical records document tremors and Parkinson's disease; also reports partial blindness and bladder problems
- No sponsor; cannot afford bond
- Approximately $2,000 in overdue bills — rent, car, insurance, credit cards; employer is holding his job but the car is at risk
- A friend has helped with legal costs but cannot continue alone
Harit has no sponsor and cannot afford bond. We are looking for anyone who can help with a release plan, legal assistance, or a humanitarian custody review given his medical condition. His continued detention raises serious questions — he entered legally, has a pending asylum case, holds valid employment authorization, and has no removal order.
Donate to Mandy's Project and enter "Harit" in the donation designation box so your gift goes directly toward his bond, legal fees, medical care, and overdue bills. If you are an immigration attorney or can help with a release plan or humanitarian custody review, please contact us.
Donate for HaritLearn More About Early-Onset Parkinson's
- Michael J. Fox Foundation: Early-Onset Parkinson's Disease — Information on diagnosis, symptoms, and treatment.
- Parkinson's Foundation: Young-Onset Parkinson's — An overview of the condition and its effects on work, family, and daily life.
- Johns Hopkins Medicine: Young-Onset Parkinson's Disease — Information on symptoms, progression, and challenges for younger adults.
Adopt a Senior or Family for the Holidays
This holiday season, we are asking donors to adopt a senior or a family in our community — for both Thanksgiving and Christmas. Many of these seniors live alone. Many of these families are navigating the holidays after a loved one was detained by ICE. A little warmth and generosity goes a long way.
Donors adopt for both holidays — Thanksgiving and Christmas together.
Adopt a Senior
When you adopt a senior, you commit to supporting them for both Thanksgiving and Christmas. For each holiday, you will provide a $50 Fry's gift card so they can enjoy a real holiday meal — Fry's is right next door for most of the seniors we serve. You will also receive a wish list of 5 personal items the senior would love, all under $50 each. The goal is to give each senior 5 meaningful gifts plus a grocery gift card for each holiday.
You will receive a personalized wish list of 5 items the senior would love. All items are under $50. This is your chance to make the holidays feel personal and warm for someone who may otherwise spend them alone.
Adopt a Family
When you adopt a family, you commit to supporting them for both Thanksgiving and Christmas. For each holiday, you will provide a $100 grocery gift card. For Christmas, we also ask donors to contribute $50 toward a Christmas piñata filled with candy — each piñata is custom-made especially for our families. It is a beloved holiday tradition in many Latin cultures and a joyful way to bring the whole family together.
Each piñata is custom-made especially for our families — a cherished Christmas tradition that brings children and adults together in celebration. For families who have been through so much this year, that moment of joy matters deeply.
Buy a Gift Card Online
Purchase a digital gift card and email it to sam@mindfulmoneyusa.com — she will make sure it reaches the right family or senior.
Why Gift Cards and Piñatas?
We serve a large number of families and seniors across the Phoenix area. Coordinating individual gift delivery and logistics would overwhelm our food pantry volunteers. Gift cards and custom piñatas let us bring real holiday joy to every household without burning out the people who make this work possible.
How to Adopt
To adopt a senior or family, visit our Get Involved page or donate via Zelle and note "Holiday Adoption" in the memo. We will match you with a senior or family and send you everything you need — including the senior's wish list if applicable. Get Involved page.
Help Free Ernesto Ferrer
Ernesto fled Cuba due to his opposition to the dictatorship, qualified for asylum in 2021, and was issued a work permit. He has no criminal record and worked as a taxi driver supporting his wife and 5 children in Cuba — until he was detained by ICE on May 15, 2025.
He is a friend of Nelson's, who met him as a fellow detainee at the Eloy detention center. Ernesto can be released if he raises $20,000 for his immigration bond, plus additional funds for an attorney. Any amount helps.
As of October 11, 2026 · 11% of goal reached
Donate to Mandy's Project via Zelle. When sending your donation, please specify "Ernesto" in the memo so we can ensure the funds go directly toward his immigration bond.
Scan the Zelle QR code on our Get Involved page to donate.
Donate — note "Ernesto"
Dad Is Home — Now the Family Needs Help Catching Up
We have wonderful news: the father is home. Our legal volunteers fought hard for his release, and after months of detention at Eloy, he is finally with his wife and the baby boy he had never met. The moment he held his son for the first time was one we will never forget.
One of our volunteers accompanied his wife to the hospital when she went into labor alone, stayed through the birth, and even cut the umbilical cord. We provided the family with safe housing, food, clothing, and transportation throughout his detention — and when the baby developed a digestive issue, our volunteers supported them through a five-day stay at Phoenix Children's Hospital.
Now that he is home, the family is together — but months of detention left a mountain of bills behind. Rent, food, car payments, insurance, and medical expenses all piled up while he was unable to work. We are also working to compensate the legal and accompaniment volunteers who made his release possible.
Your support helps this family get back on their feet and start the next chapter together.
Donate to Mandy's Project via Zelle or on our Donate page. Please include the note "BABY" with your donation so we can direct your gift to this family.
Donate — note "BABY"Clothing for People Released from Detention
When people are released from ICE detention, they often have nothing but the clothes on their backs. We collect new, unworn clothing to welcome them home with dignity.
What We Need Most
- New underwear and socks (all sizes)
- New t-shirts and casual pants (all sizes)
- New shoes or sandals (all sizes)
- Hygiene kits (toothbrush, toothpaste, deodorant, soap)
To donate items, please visit our Get Involved page to arrange a drop-off or pick-up. New, unopened items only please.
Get Involved to DonateKarma Bags — Supplies for People in Need
Each Karma Bag is packed with care — water, snacks, hygiene items, socks, and a Know Your Rights card. We distribute them at community events, outside detention centers, and wherever people need them most.
Karma Bags started as a simple idea: what if we could hand someone everything they need to get through the next 24 hours? Since then, we have distributed hundreds of bags across the Phoenix metro area.
Every bag we hand out is a reminder that someone in this community sees you, cares about you, and wants you to be okay.
What Goes in a Karma Bag
- Water and non-perishable snacks
- Hygiene items (soap, toothbrush, deodorant)
- Socks and a small towel
We keep a running wish list of the most-needed supplies. Check the Karma Bags project page to see what we need most right now.
See the Karma Bags wish listDonate supplies or money to purchase these items. Visit our Get Involved page to arrange a drop-off, or donate via Zelle and note "Karma Bags" in the memo.
Donate Supplies or FundsThis page is updated as urgent needs arise. Check back often — every act of generosity makes a difference.