Pilar’s Stands with Refugees and Immigrants

2024

April 21 2024, Doctors Without Borders Humanitarian Relief in Palestine

Pilar’s Foundation held a fundraiser at Zion Lutheran Church in Ann Arbor in support of Doctors Without Borders, benefiting their life-saving humanitarian efforts for Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank.

This community fundraising event featured food from Pilar’s Tamales of Ann Arbor and other contributing local food establishments as well as live music from local musicians, community discussions, a Pinata, and a Silent Auction. In total, with the support of the community, we were able to raise $10,350 to support Doctors Without Borders.

You can visit the archived event page here.

2023

May 7, Doctors Without Borders – Turkey/Syria Earthquake Relief

The Pilar’s Foundation held a fundraising event for Doctors Without Borders in which we raised $2200 from the Ann Arbor, Michigan community to provide much needed funds to support Doctors Without Borders earthquake disaster relief efforts.

2022

March 27, Washtenaw County Afghanistan Refugees Relief Benefit for Washtenaw Jewish Family Services

Zion Lutheran Church in Ann Arbor Michigan

This fundraiser provided financial support to the blessed work of Jewish Family Services of Washtenaw County in their efforts to provide urgently needed local support for the newly displaced Afghanistan Refugees that were beginning new lives right here in Washtenaw County. All of the services, actions, and Heart Felt love Sylvia saw in the work of Jewish Family Services are also the same values that are true and dear to her Heart.

$10,000 in proceeds from this event went to Jewish Family Services of Washtenaw County in their efforts to provide financial aid needed in your services for displaced Afghanistan refugees.

2021

May, Fundraiser for SHARE Honduras to support their Vamos a la Milpa Program

For this fundraiser, proceeds from Pilar’s Café, along with independent contributions, were donated to Pilar’s Foundation and were bolstered by additional funds contributed from Pilar’s Foundation to support SHARE Honduras’ Vamos a la Milpa Program. This program supports sustainable, small scale, organic growing of food in Honduran communities to feed hungry people and allow them to be less reliant on the cruelties of the unfair commercial and economic systems in order to survive and feed their children and themselves. In all, through our community’s gracious hearts, we were able to raise $1900 to support this program through a donation made in the name of the Pilar’s Foundation.

2020

May 5, Elliot Schwab and Pilar’s Tamales Cinco de Mayo Fundraiser for WICR

Over the 3 day span of this online fundraiser, a total of $2600 was raised and presented to WICR to support their efforts to help families in need during the beginning of the Covid Pandemic.

2019

September 8th, Gala

“Pilar's Stands with Refugees and Immigrants,” was a resounding success. It would not have been possible without the generosity of all of our loving friends in the community, artisans, musicians, and local businesses who gave their time and resources in support of these organizations:

Michigan Immigrant Rights Center
The Michigan Immigrant Rights Center (MIRC) is a legal resource center for Michigan's immigrant communities. MIRC works to build a thriving Michigan where immigrant communities experience equity and belonging.

Michigan Support Circle
Michigan Support Circle is a grassroots organization created to help support the reunification of families by providing rides, housing, clothing and other essentials once the families have been released.

Washtenaw Congregational Sanctuary
Washtenaw Congregational Sanctuary is an interfaith coalition of congregations and unaffiliated individuals throughout Washtenaw County who have joined together to support immigrants and their families in our community.

Washtenaw Interfaith Council for Immigrant Rights
The Washtenaw Interfaith Coalition for Immigrant Rights is a volunteer-based group of community members committed to advocating for immigrants rights.

Thank you, everyone, for your love and support in all that the Pilar’s Foundation is working to accomplish both locally and around the world.