At the Young Center, we are fortunate to have committed supporters who have made our work possible for years. Anthony Sernus is one of our most dedicated friends, championing our work as a volunteer Child Advocate and through salsa classes that raise funds for the Young Center. To date, Anthony has raised $1,400 to support undocumented immigrant children facing deportation.  

Tell us how you learned about the Young Center. Why and how did you get involved with the Young Center initially?

I wanted to volunteer working with immigrants in my hometown of Chicago. I learned about the Young Center speaking with friends and through my own research. Everyone who knew about the Young Center had nothing but positive comments and talked about how it’s such a reputable organization and the tremendous work that they do.

What was your involvement like?

 I volunteer as a Child Advocate. Through this role I meet (virtually) with an unaccompanied child in government custody. We play games or discuss topics that are related to the child’s interests; and try to serve as an additional support to the child. After our meeting, I submit notes to the case supervisor ensuring that the child has a voice in his/her own immigration case.

What is one thing you’d like everyone to know about the Young Center?

I have been very impressed with the work ethic of the staff at the Young Center. They are extremely responsive and truly care about improving the immigration system and creating positive change in our communities. The Young Center staff truly is passionate about work they do and it’s evident and inspirational to volunteers like myself.

Tell us a little bit about your salsa classes to support the work with children.

We have a great team that gives free salsa classes on Saturdays in Eckhart Park in Chicago from 11:00 a.m.- 12:00 p.m. We call it “Salsa Saturday’s presented by Vibin’ Salsa”. I’m very thankful for our group -- we truly have a great team that began simply because we wanted to make a difference and help immigrant children.

Absolutely anyone is welcome, and the class is completely free, but we collect donations and 100% of proceeds go entirely to the Young Center. We also use it as a platform to share the work of the Young Center and discuss current challenges facing immigrants.

Your support has made an incredible impact on our work, allowing us to help more children to make sure they don’t face the inhumane immigration system by themselves. How do you feel knowing the difference you’ve made?

I speak on behalf of everyone at our salsa group when I say it’s great knowing that we’ve been able to make a difference and ensure unaccompanied children don’t have to navigate the immigration system by themselves. That being said, while it’s great to celebrate small victories along the way, we know there is still a lot of work to be done. The 2021 fiscal year saw a record number of unaccompanied children come across the border, surpassing 100,000 for the first time ever. So we’re going to continue our work creating action and awareness for immigrant children.

What’s your dream for immigrant children? 

My dream for immigrant children is that wherever they come from or whether they come here with someone or alone, they always receive the utmost and best possible care. I hope these children find multiple avenues of support and above all find the United States to be a country where they feel welcome.

I know immigration is often a polarizing topic, but I view the challenges facing immigrant children, specifically those facing unaccompanied children, as a humanitarian issue that transcends politics. We’re talking about kids, typically under 18, who are alone and are trying to navigate the complex immigration system entirely on their own. When we provide support to these children so they’re not on their own, I believe we embody some of the USA’s best values.

Anything else you’d like to add?

A special shout out to Marilu, Sofia, and the rest of the Salsa Saturday’s team!