Join a Working group

These are our current groups that are focused on meeting needs and making positive change in our community. To join a group, please fill out this form and we will connect you with the group facilitator. If you can’t attend meetings but want to continue to be informed and stay int he loop, you can still sign up so you can receive updates from the group with next steps you can take.

1. Delaney Hall:

This is on-the-ground work at the Delaney Detention Center (451 Doremus Avenue, Newark), alongside organizations that are down there daily.

Opportunities include:

  • Being there on visiting days (Tuesdays/ Thursdays 4:00-9:15 pm and Saturdays/Sundays (7:00 am-5:30 pm) to help/assist/support the families visiting detained loved ones, and to bear witness. 
  • Setting up tables where partner organizations give out needed supplies to families.  
  • Visiting detainees who do not have family in the area.
  • Driving families to the detention center
  • Transporting resources to Delaney, and more.  

2. Street Patrolling Orange/West Orange border:

We are partnering with our friends in Orange to get people out patrolling along a map of known ICE activity in 30-minute shifts from 8:00 am -11:00 am Monday through Sunday.  

  • After a short training of the specifics, volunteers sign up for as many shifts as they can each week. 
  • Ideally, there are two people per car, so one can report and record if necessary, while the other drives.  
  • No whistles here. Just observing, reporting and recording, and safeguarding our community.
  • Transporting resources to Delaney, and more.  

3. Town Council/School policy: 

This work focuses on articulating to town leaders a sane, safe, and transparent policy of resisting ICE.  This could involve, but not limited to: 

  • Letter drives to Mayor, TC, BOE, Superintendent, and Chief of Police
  • Meeting with elected officials and/or those running in next year’s elections.  
  • Related actions could be working with schools to set up parent patrols at drop off/pick-up and recess times (this was a highly successful strategy in Minneapolis and St. Paul); Walking students to and from school
  • Rotating attendance at Town Council and BOE meetings, and speaking during public comment
  • Pushing town officials to put in place an eviction moratorium for ICE impacted households; and more…
  • Transporting resources to Delaney, and more.  

4. Resource Distribution:


There are already those in our community and in nearby towns, who have lost income sources due to detainment. In coordination with other groups, local food pantries, WOSD, etc. this group gets what is needed to those who need.  And who knows, but it may be time to bring back the Rent Party!

5. Support local businesses


We have a great many locally- owned businesses in town, many are immigrant-owned.  And the businesses that are reliant upon mostly immigrant customers are seeing a dip in their sales.  The focus of this group is on the following: 

  • Outreach to these businesses in town, let them know about the work of this group and our partners
  • Support them to keep themselves and their workers safe
  • Spread  the word to  support these businesses 

6. Neighbor Connect West Orange (Collaboration with WO Hispanic Heritage Foundation)

This program aims to welcome and support newcomer multilingual families as they transition into the West Orange community.


This is how it works: we are looking for warm and reliable volunteer families to serve as Connector Families for the 2026–2027 school year.

Connector Families act as friendly guides, helping new families navigate everyday life by answering simple questions, sharing local resources, and building connections. Volunteers are not expected to be experts, just supportive neighbors willing to help. Participation includes staying in touch through group chats and attending four family-friendly in-person events throughout the year. All languages are welcome, and if you speak languages other than English, please consider joining us: If you are interested in this work, please
email: ralves@westorangeschools.org

  • Transporting resources to Delaney, and more.  

7. Organize Know Your Rights/Rapid Response Training in Town:

One of the lessons of Minnesota is the effort made to ensure that everyday people knew their rights:

  • What are we allowed to do when we see ICE? 
  • What is most helpful? 
  • What should we not do? 
  • Some towns, like East Orange, are holding these trainings for the community, hosted by the mayor.   Others, like SOMA, are holding trainings, hosted by groups like WOAN.  This group will work on organizing some trainings here in WO. 

8. Organize Gather and Share Drives: 

This group will be identifying who is in need (i.e., families visiting at Delaney; those in our community who reach out, etc.) to determine what is needed and then spreading the word, collecting and sharing. 

Website and other Communication:

We would really like to offer versions of our website and other communication in multiple languages.  Please let us know if you would like to serve as our WOAN translators!

next steps

what can I do right now?

immediate Actions You Can Take

There is so much work to be done to protect and help our community through mutual aid and advocacy. These are local community efforts and initiatives that can use your support right now.

Citizens Financial Group has been a financier of the private prison and detention industry since at least 2012. We’re urging them to end their financial relationships with all private prison and ICE detention and transport companies and publicly commit not to do business with them in the future.

What you can do:

Find out more information de-icecitizensbank.org/take-action

One way you can make an immediate impact is by donating to immigrant families and individuals. This money can go to legal fees, medical bills, food for detainees (who are often given spoiled or inadequate food). It can also help the families who are still here and no longer have a paycheck they can rely on.

You can also donate directly to a commissary fund for detainees at Delaney hall. This money goes directly to detainees accounts to pay for food and phone accounts so they can contact their loved ones. Detainees are often given moldy or inedible food and have little to no access to the outside world, so this is an urgent need right now.

Contact Noelle Dean (who works with Montclair Solidarity) at noelledean44@gmail.com to participate in the following:

  • Provide transportation to and from Delaney Hall for those coming to see their loved ones.
  • Sign up to visit someone already in detention. Some detainees go weeks or months without visitors.
  • Accompany someone to an ICE check-in or a scheduled court date (especially if you speak Spanish or another second language).
  • Volunteer outside Delaney Hall Detention Center by providing hot beverages, dress code clothing, grocery bags, and general support during visiting hours.

Help support the families with loved ones detained at Delaney Hall (Newark ICE Detention Center) with urgently needed diapers, wipes, and grocery cards.

  • Collection period: March 1 – 31, 2026
  • Drop-off Locations:
  • 55 Cobane Terrace or
  • 150 Mount Pleasant
  • Venmo Contributions: @Selwell0728 (note “WOAN contribution”)

Or purchase directly from our Amazon wishlist

Want to get involved? email woan2026@gmail.com to join our list!

Questions about the Diaper Drive? email WOANGatherAndShare@gmail.com

contact us

need to contact us with feedback or ideas?

If you have any feedback or ideas, we want to hear from you!

Contact us at woan2026@gmail.com