BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — A Bakersfield nonprofit is connecting community members with people held in immigration detention facilities through pen pal letter-writing sessions.
Wilma Goodloe spent her Saturday morning inside a hall at the First Congregational Church in Bakersfield, joining a pen pal session hosted by Kern Welcoming and Extending Solidarity to Immigrants, a nonprofit known as KWESI.
Goodloe chose not to share her pen pal's name to protect his identity, but told me a little about him.
"My pen pal is from Honduras. He's 33 years old and we've been pen pals for almost a year now," Goodloe said. "Unfortunately, he's not in Kern County now. He was at Golden State Annex in McFarland, but he's been transferred to Texas."
He also donated artwork for KWESI's fundraiser.
"Drew six pictures for our KWESI fundraiser last week," Goodloe said. "Got a letter from him today, and I just learned that he did those paintings with the four-inch pencil and erasers. It's unbelievable work."
KWESI Coordinator Jeannie Parent said the organization sends letters to all three ICE detention centers and maintains a list of people staying at those facilities.
"KWESI visits people in detention, and we have a commissary fund commissary fund, so we are making deposits to people's accounts. So, we get the names through those two aspects of our organization," Parent said.
Parent said people who receive letters really appreciate them.
"I remember one letter I did get back from someone who said that there was nothing like the feeling of hearing your name called in the dorm and being told that you have mail." Parent said.
Ilse Orejuela is another volunteer who is passionate about the project.
"They need to know that they're not alone that behind them there's a group of people who sincerely think of them every day." Orejuela said.
Goodloe is encouraging people to join them in writing letters for people who are in immigration detention facilities.
"It could just be two lines that you write, but it means a lot to them. They know then that they're not forgotten," Goodloe said.
The next pen pal session is scheduled for the holidays.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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