AMIS (French for "friends") is a volunteer-led effort to help newcomers to northeast Ohio who are seeking legal status but do not have an easy path to citizenship. Specifically, we focus on assisting asylum seekers with expenses that are not covered by other social service agencies or government programs.

AMIS started as a grassroots effort in 2018 when one of our board members was asked to become a sponsor for a Haitian asylum seeker being illegally detained for two years in a NEO jail. A group of Cleveland area residents raised over $16k to help pay his legal fees and support for his wife and children in Haiti.

Since then, we have helped over 100 people with medical bills, trauma counseling, legal fees (DACA fees), rental assistance, utility support, and various other emergency needs. All the money we have used over the past five years has been directly from our generous donors, and one of our goals for 2023 is to seek grant funds to help diversify our funding sources and grow our impact.