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November 2020
Gratitude is Everything ThankfulforHowThisCountryCametoBe
When you’ve reached a certain point in the crazy year 2020 has been, you realize that gratitude is everything. Moments like these are the strongest resources for revealing all the things that we truly have to be grateful for — things we never knew we’d miss until they were gone or things we may have taken for granted. I’m so grateful for my New Frontier team and for the incredible work we have the privilege of doing every day. We’re part of a generation of change and get to play a role in a vital movement in the U.S. that’s positively impacting so many people, their children, and their children’s children. We see so many kids who are first-generation Americans and are so proud of their parents after hearing the stories about their family history and how they immigrated. They often let those stories make them feel different, but the reality is, those stories make us all the same. This country was built on the descendants of immigrants. All of my ancestors emigrated from various parts of Europe, and my husband is 100% Irish. His family emigrated from Ireland, and they take so much pride in that. His great, great grandparents went through the Irish potato famine, and it forced them to emigrate. It was hard, but they were brave enough to leave the life they knew and forge a new life they could be proud of. And now here we are, decades later, and he and I have this incredible
family tree that shows all that history, and I couldn’t be more grateful to my family for creating it. Every single person has some sort of family tree that shows the proud history of where those before them came from and how they were able to contribute to the lives we live now. I’m so grateful for the people within my own family tree and family story, and now I get to help other people and their families who took those same brave steps to forge new paths for themselves and their loved ones. There are so many countries that just don’t afford the same opportunities to pursue dreams like this country does. There are some cultures where you can’t break the mold of what’s expected of you, can’t obtain the education you want, and have no choice but to play the hand you’re dealt. But here, there are no such parameters. Here, there are so many possibilities, and it makes me grateful to not only be here, but also to fight for others to be here. Because if not for the melting pot of all of our ancestors and for each and every one of us who will serve as an ancestor to future generations, we wouldn’t have the country that we have today. These immigration stories are an endless cycle, and they make our culture so much richer in every single way. If you know of someone who’s immigration story is still being written, and they need help from someone who would be honored to be a part of that story, let them know about us. We are always
so grateful for referrals because they allow us to build upon the opportunities that we have to help others. We’d love to share that gratitude with you and your loved ones.
–Hillary Walsh
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Meet Maria Thomas Grateful for the Work We Do
Top 5 Healthy Life Hacks to Have an Awesome Morning
Getting your day started with coffee isn’t always enough. Sometimes, you need to give yourself an extra boost, especially when you have little energy or trouble focusing. For an awesome start to your day, here are five tips to get you going right off the bat. Wake up 5 minutes early. What’s the power of five minutes? It can be more than you think. Spend this time doing simple breathing exercises or a quick meditation so you can get focused for the rest of the day. If that’s not your style, you can prepare a quick to-do list for your day ahead. Either way, it’s always nice to have a little extra time for yourself without losing too much sleep. Start with green tea, then coffee. A cup of coffee at 7 a.m. can leave you burned out by 10 a.m. Try swapping it with green tea for a more gentle wake-up call. After that, you can brew your favorite coffee to keep you going strong. This practice also might help you consume less caffeine overall! Take a quick morning walk — and have your meetings on the go. Morning meetings can make us want to fall asleep again. Don’t spend all of them sitting down if you don’t have to! Not only will morning walks help you wake up, but they can also add some extra physical activity to your day. Write in your journal. Who says you have to journal at the end of the day when you’re tired and ready to sleep? You can journal in the morning about what happened yesterday and the things you’re looking forward to that day. Journaling can remind you of your daily goals and motivate you to stick to your commitments. Pack your lunch (or snacks!). Staying on track with your goals starts with having the energy to do them. Plan a healthy balance of fats, vegetables, carbohydrates, and proteins. This can be as simple as assembling dips, carrots, wraps, and salads each morning. It’s time to try these tactics to jump-start your day!
Maria Thomas has worn so many hats during her time with New Frontier. In fact, we wouldn’t be the firm we are today without her work and dedication. Even though she now spends most of her time handling referrals, she will always be a part of everything our team stands for. “I am so grateful for this work,” Maria says. “The people we help always tell us how much they appreciate us and how we’ve given them a new
lease on life, but they’ll never know how much meaning they bring to my life every single day.” Maria was once told she would be disabled and unable to work for the rest of her life, but finding work that gave her the renewed purpose of helping others was her cure-all. “I’ve always had a desire to help people and especially want to help minorities,” Maria says. “My own parents are immigrants, and I am so proud to be their daughter.” Maria’s mother emigrated from Mexico when she was just 3 months old, but her father is originally from El Salvador. “He and my grandfather had to escape the country when my father was forced to be a child soldier at just 12 years old,” she says. “My grandpa had the means to get them out, but they were in terrible health and had nothing left when they got here. My father grew up poor and hungry but worked so hard to finally get status.” Unexpected situations can arise at any time, so Maria’s goal is to be there for our clients no matter what. “We’ve expanded our office hours and now work weekends to be available when people need us,” she explains. “I sleep with my phone on as loud as it will go every night so that I’m ready to answer any call when it comes in. But I’m so happy to do it because I can only hope to give people even half of the joy they’ve given me.” If you’re feeling grateful for anything in your life, there are some great ways to express it. We encourage you to explore food banks and donations centers in the Phoenix area and contribute to people who are on their own journeys to bigger dreams.
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Ice, Ice, Lawsuit Woman Sues Starbucks Over ‘Too Much Ice’
Sometimes, there is such a thing as “too much ice.” You’re sipping your cold beverage when suddenly, it’s gone far quicker than you expected. All you’re left with is a cup full of ice. It’s disappointing, for sure, but is it so disappointing that you would want to file a lawsuit against the company that supplied the beverage? That’s exactly what Stacy Pincus did in 2016. She ordered an iced coffee from Starbucks, only to find “too much ice” in her drink. The lawsuit, filed in Chicago, alleged that the drink was advertised as a 24-ounce beverage, but once the ice was factored in, Pincus and her lawyers claimed the drink was really only “14 fluid ounces.” “Starbucks’ advertising practices are clearly meant to mislead consumers when combined with the standard practice of filling a cold drink cup with far less liquid than the cup can hold,” the suit claimed. NBC News reported that Pincus sought damages to the tune of $5 million against the coffee chain.
“The plaintiff would not have paid as much,” her lawyers stated in a court document, “if anything, for the cold drinks had she known that they contained less, and in many cases, nearly half as many, fluid ounces than claimed by Starbucks. As a result, the plaintiff suffered injury in fact and lost money or property.” Starbucks’ response: “Our customers understand and expect that ice is an essential component of any ‘iced’ beverage. If a customer is not satisfied with their beverage preparation, we will gladly remake it.” The company also reaffirmed that you can order any iced beverage with “light ice” and receive half the ice normally included. Interestingly, a second lawsuit against Starbucks popped up in Los Angeles a few months later, but both cases were thrown out. Pincus never saw a cent of that $5 million, nor did she recoup her attorneys’ fees. The case went on to be called “one of the most frivolous lawsuits of 2016.”
Sudoku
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INSIDE
Everyone Has an Immigration Story to be Thankful For
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Top 5 Healthy Life Hacks to Have an Awesome Morning Spotlight on Maria Thomas
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Woman Sues Starbucks Over ‘Too Much Ice’
Client Success Story
We’ll Take Your Case Because We Believe in Hard Work and a Little Magic
Sometimes magic does seem real. That’s probably what our client Santiago thought when he was just six years old and his mother took him on a vacation from their home in Mexico to the wonderful world of Disney in Florida. Little did he know that he would never leave the U.S. again, and he couldn’t even begin to fathom the problems that would cause him later in life. From the time he was six, Santiago grew up in the U.S. He got his education here, worked here, and even married here.
New Frontier took Santiago’s case after he’d already been detained for months. We were his last shot at hope. But after several appeals, letters to the field office, and even a petition with hundreds of signatures that went without any response, the situation wasn’t promising. Santiago’s last shred of hope was spent. At his defeated request, we made the difficult decision to withdraw his case, and he packed his bags. But sometimes, the very edge of lost hope is exactly where miracles happen. Because we withdrew the case and it was no longer pending, the field office director now had jurisdiction to step in and take action. After reviewing Santiago’s case and the months of advocacy we had done on his behalf, the director overrode his denial of parole, and Santiago was released. He recently received a work permit and will soon obtain his green card. A difficult journey that began with a visit to the fairytale lands of Disney World managed to have a fairytale ending. Cases like this convince us that miracles can happen, but you can’t get close to those miracles without a strong will and hard work. If you or someone you know needs help fighting for their right to be in this country, call New Frontier.
But when he took a road trip with a few friends, they were pulled over and immigration discovered that Santiago had overstayed his tourist visa limitations. After being taken into custody, things were rapidly looking grim for this young man who’d had no say in where he grew up and yet was now facing removal proceedings.
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