Hermanowski Family Foundation Initial Request Form

---

Organization Name: Project Libertad
Legal Name (if Different):
Also Known As:
Mailing Address: 1220 Black Powder Drive
City: Phoenixville
State: PA
Postal Code: 19460
Main Phone: 4843028551
Main Fax: n/a
Organization Website: www.projectlibertad.org
Employer ID Number: 81-0747522
Organization Tax Status: 501(c)(3)

Proposal Information

---

Today’s Date: 3/29/24
Requested Amount: $10,000

Project Title: General Operating Support – Legal and Social Services for Immigrant Youth
Project Description:

Lia, a 12-year-old asylum seeker, was raped by her father in Honduras. She fled to the US seeking safety with her aunt in the Philadelphia region, only to find herself in deportation proceedings without a lawyer or social support. Lia suffered from PTSD and was suspended from school due to trauma-related behaviors. In immigration court, Lia struggled to articulate her case to the judge, who determined she was not credible and looked negatively at her school record. Lia was deported back to her abuser. Without a lawyer and without access to critical social services, Lia’s voice went unheard.

Lia’s story is typical for immigrant children in the region. An estimated 24,000 children face deportation proceedings before the Philadelphia Immigration Court. 75% have no lawyer and must represent themselves in an arcane system in a foreign language. Representation matters: 75% of represented kids win the right to stay in the US legally, while 90% of unrepresented children like Lia are deported to danger.

Despite the clear need, there are limited legal services for youth in the region, leaving children like Lia to fend for themselves in immigration court, with the vast majority of those cases ending in needless deportation.

Migrant children like Lia arrive in the United States with extensive prior trauma before facing additional stressors in the US, like the threat of deportation and difficult family dynamics. These challenges exacerbate existing mental health problems, making migrant kids more likely to struggle in isolation with mental illness. Yet, these children cannot access needed social services due to multiple barriers.

Project Libertad requests $10,000 in general operating funds to support and expand legal and social services for immigrant youth in Greater Philadelphia.

Total Project Budget: $280,194 (2024 projected budget)

Other Funding
Sources For The Project (Committed & Potential): Largest Funders & Amount (2023): Montgomery County Recovery Office $82,900.00 Scattergood Foundation $31,500.00 Philadelphia Foundation $15,000.00

Project Duration: General operating support to be used in the funded year (2025)
Geographical Area Served: Greater Philadelphia
Age Group To Be Served: Immigrant children and youth (up to age 21)

Contact Information

---

Contact Prefix (Mr,Mrs etc.):
Contact First Name: Rachel
Contact Last Name: Rutter
Contact Title: Executive Director
Contact Phone: 4843028551
Contact Email: rachel@projectlibertad.org