Resources for Action

Upcoming Share the Plate

Wenatchee for Immigrant Justice

Sunday, December 14 at 10:30 AM

1550 Sunset Highway, East Wenatchee, WA 98802

Mission

Wenatchee for Immigrant Justice (WIJ) works in solidarity with immigrant community members and partner organizations to advance opportunity, equity, and justice for all immigrants in North Central Washington.

Their Story

WIJ began in 2018 when a group of Wenatchee residents became concerned about the detention of immigrants while accessing the district and superior courts. The organization partnered with the Washington Immigrant Solidarity Network to accompany immigrants during court hearings and ensure access to justice without fear of detention.

In 2019, Washington passed landmark legislation—Keep Washington Working and Courts Open to All—protecting immigrant access to vital services. When the COVID-19 pandemic struck in 2020, courts closed, and local economies suffered. Immigrants, excluded from most safety-net programs, faced severe hardship. WIJ responded by launching an emergency relief campaign, raising and distributing over $250,000 from 2020 to 2023 to help families with housing, food, and medical costs.
During this time, WIJ expanded its work to include:

  • Policy advocacy for immigrant health care equity
  • Know Your Rights workshops for new community members
  • A broader definition of “immigrant” to include anyone born outside the U.S. and their immediate family members—recognizing that systemic inequities affect both noncitizens and their U.S. citizen relatives.

Where WIJ is Today

WIJ continues to stand with immigrant families through:

  • Rapid response and accompaniment during detention or deportation crises
  • Economic support for families adjusting to immigration status or coping with sudden separation
  • Connections to legal and social services, attorney consultations, and evidence gathering

Families facing detention often experience overwhelming challenges—grief, financial strain, lack of legal access, and complex international law issues. WIJ works to ease these burdens wherever possible.

Challenges & Vision

As a volunteer-led organization, WIJ relies on grants and donations to sustain its work. The group has secured funding for two part-time coordinators and is seeking support for a full-time director to lead its growing efforts.

WIJ is fiscally sponsored by The Sunnyslope Church and aims to become an independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit within five years.

About the Speaker

Rachael Pashkowski is a long-time resident of the Wenatchee Valley. She attended high school in Leavenworth, lived in Chelan and Orondo, and has called Wenatchee home since 2005. Petra has worked as a paralegal at Columbia Legal Services since 1998, focusing on complex litigation on behalf of farmworkers. In April, she was honored as a “Legal Services Champion” by Chelan-Douglas Volunteer Attorney Services for her work with CLS and WIJ.

Rachael is married and has three children: a stepson living in Burien with his wife, and 24-year-old twins—a daughter studying communications and computer science at Western Washington University, and a son who works as a custodian at Wenatchee Valley College. Her son is autistic and lives at home, which led Rachael to volunteer as a coach for the Upper Valley Connection Special Olympics cross-country ski and snowshoe teams for seven years. She is an active member of The Sunnyslope Church and a passionate advocate for fairness and equity.

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JUUstice Washington

JUUstice Washington is a UU action network addressing social and environmental justice on a regional basis. JUUstice Washington strives to inspire, educate, empower, and nurture the capacity of Unitarian Universalists, as well as community allies, to collaboratively advocate for and undertake social and environmental justice initiatives, and to support legislative change that aligns with Unitarian Universalist values in Washington and beyond.