Citizenship applications covered under Kings County nonprofit

KINGS COUNTY, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE) - In Kings County, it’s not uncommon to see Valley Voices set up nether a pop-up structure astatine the flea market, extracurricular a supermarket, oregon astatine a section crockery kitchen. Wherever moving families are, you’ll find this nonprofit.

“It's astir knowing your rights and being capable to workout those rights," said Ruth Lopez, the founding enforcement director. "There's a batch of radical retired determination that attraction and privation america here, this is our community, this is our home."

Founded successful 2020, Valley Voices is helping working-class and migrant families navigate everything from nationalist wellness to immigration, labour rights, and civic engagement.

Their outreach includes nutrient distributions, knowing that missing 1 time of wage could mean missing a meal.

“Because of the fearfulness of imaginable raids coming to nationalist locations, similar a swap meet, radical person stayed backmost and are not wanting to travel out; they're acrophobic to get picked up present oregon conscionable adjacent connected their mode to acquisition meals. Some radical are deciding to person household present groceries to them versus going retired and getting it themselves," said Lopez. 

Mixed-status families look anxiousness daily. But Valley Voices offers much than nutrient oregon flyers. Through caller partnerships, they present assistance wage for the N-400 citizenship application, empowering radical to instrumentality the adjacent step.

“We locomotion with them done the process, drafting nationalist comments, registering them to vote, helping radical find their dependable successful systems built to soundlessness them," said Ivette Chaidez Villarreal, the civic engagement director.

For vendors similar Maria De Los Angeles, becoming a national past twelvemonth was conscionable the start.

"Since I've ne'er voted, I've lone been a national for a small while, it’s each caller to me, and I didn’t cognize a lot," said Los Angeles. "Then I met Ruth and I said, ‘Hey, assistance maine out.’ And she did."

Whether it’s registering idiosyncratic to ballot oregon helping a farmworker record for citizenship, Valley Voices is offering help. 

To marque a donation oregon to find retired much astir their services, click here.