Canal Alliance CEO Omar Carrera is asking San Rafael residents to do more than worry about their immigrant neighbors. He wants them to act.
In a guide published Wednesday, Aug. 19 on the nonprofit's website, Carrera laid out seven concrete steps residents can take to support Latino immigrants in Marin County. The guide comes as Carrera describes federal immigration policy putting pressure on the community and the organization's programs straining under demand.
Canal Alliance's staff is at capacity, Carrera wrote, fully focused on keeping core programs running: a food pantry, grocery delivery, mental health support, immigration legal services and legal rights education.
"Our staff has been overwhelmed by your kindness, and it brings me great hope to witness how much you want to make a difference in the face of racist and hateful policies and politics," he wrote.
What residents can do
The guide's seven steps range from personal to political:
- Practice self-care and lean on community. Carrera urged residents to manage stress and support one another.
- Learn immigrant rights. Canal Alliance offers Know Your Rights materials in English and Spanish on its website, plus community conversations listed on its events page.
- Help neighbors complete a Family Preparedness Plan and Childcare Affidavit. The downloadable documents, developed by the Immigrant Legal Resource Center, walk families through emergency planning in case of detention or deportation.
- Subscribe to WhatsApp alerts. Canal Alliance operates a bilingual WhatsApp system that sends verified ICE activity alerts for the Canal neighborhood, along with a separate resource guide with family preparedness materials.
- Volunteer. The organization is not currently recruiting beyond roles listed on its website, but residents can complete an intake form to join a waitlist.
- Donate. Carrera emphasized recurring gifts, noting uncertainty around federal funding makes reliable individual donations critical. The organization can be reached at 415-454-2640 for major gifts.
- Use your voice. Share Know Your Rights materials, connect communities to trusted agencies and subscribe to advocacy networks like UnidosUS Action Network and the National Immigration Law Center's Response Team.
Why it matters locally
The Canal District is a 2.2-square-mile peninsula home to more than 13,000 residents, roughly 84% of whom are Latino. About half of Canal households spend more than 50% of their income on housing.
Carrera wrote that the organization has received an outpouring of support from community members asking how they can help, prompting the guide's republication. The resource was first published in March 2025 and republished Wednesday, Aug. 19, reflecting ongoing demand.
How to get involved
Residents can access Know Your Rights materials, Family Preparedness Plan documents and WhatsApp alert subscriptions through Canal Alliance's website. Community conversations on immigrant rights are scheduled periodically in English and Spanish; dates are posted on the organization's events page.
