In the Brazos Valley, this awareness led Clotilde and others – including Angelita Garcia-Alonzo, Cecelia Hawkins, Nancy Plankey-Videla and Mary Lenn Dixon – to create BIIN in 2010. ![]() immigration system as well as the obstacles faced by immigrants of varying legal statuses. Bush to reform immigration law – while they ultimately failed – raised awareness across the country of the entrenched problems with the U.S. As Clotilde recalled, during the early 2000s, efforts by the administration of President George W. Mary’s Catholic Church, where she already volunteered with the Social Justice Committee. In 2008, she left the chemistry lab, and began working with local social service agencies: first, the Big Brothers/Big Sisters program, and then as campus minister with St. This experience confirmed Clotilde’s skills in Spanish, while making her more aware of the needs for assistance within the wider immigrant community.Ĭlotilde’s interest in devoting her energies to social justice initiatives grew over time. Vincent de Paul, conducting home visits with Spanish-speaking clients together. Mary’s Catholic Church, began volunteering with the Society of St. In 1998, the couple, who were also members of St. As their relationship developed, Clotilde began to learn Spanish, by taking classes at TAMU and visiting Chile with Patricio. She soon met Patricio Santander, the man who would later become her husband, who was from Chile but like Clotilde, had come to this area to take advantage of professional opportunities at Texas A&M. Having lived in France for the first part of her life, Clotilde came to Bryan/College Station in 1985 to do a post-doctoral fellowship in chemistry at TAMU. Come along as we share some of the things we learned from our conversations with Clotilde.Ĭlotilde Pichon recognizes that her own background as an immigrant was part of her initial motivation to volunteer with BIIN. To better understand the history of BIIN and its long-standing IRA program, spring 2022 IRA intern Gaby Lozano and BIIN Development and Communications Coordinator Janet Morford decided to interview Clotilde Pichon, one of the organization’s founders and a long-time IRA volunteer. With the mission to serve local immigrants by creating a community hub that would help them with a variety of issues, the founders established the non-profit organization now known as Brazos Interfaith Immigration Network. Medical Debt Relief Resource ()īrazos Interfaith Immigration Network was established in the fall of 2010 by a small circle of committed residents who saw the lack of resources available to immigrants in the Brazos Valley, and decided to take matters into their own hands. ![]() ![]() Linktr (more information and resources).Graduate Fellowship for Immigrants & Children of Immigrants.College Guide for Undocumented Students in Texas.Information, Referrals, & Assistance (IRA).
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