Yolanda Bopp
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| Yolanda Bopp |
Yolanda Bopp works for Pisgah Legal Service’s “Project Justice for All,” which offers legal help to low-income, non-English-speaking persons with or without documents.
Since the time she started in 2002, she has covered 17 counties in Western North Carolina. “I found my calling,” she smiles. “I love being able to offer hope to the people who need it so badly.”
A 4th generation Texan, Bopp was born in San Antonio, the oldest of six. The family moved to Chicago, where she lived for 35 years until she and her husband lost their insurance company jobs when the company downsized. They had dreamed of moving to the Asheville area, and when her husband secured a job with the City of Asheville in 1986, they jumped at the chance.
Project
Justice for All offers help with basic needs: homelessness prevention,
access to food stamps, and Medicaid. There is a school partnership
project and a “Battered Immigrant” program.
“We do a lot of
education on people’s rights as tenants,” Bopp reported. “People want
to know about getting drivers’ licenses; unfortunately, a social
security number is needed to get the license. I often recommend that a
person who is documented start a carpool service for others. We just
had a meeting of 150 people at a Catholic church in Franklin. We
collaborate with at least a dozen Latino centers.”
“My job is to be
there in the trenches, on the front lines. It’s overwhelming to see so
much need. People feel comfortable and open up to me since I’m an older
Latina. Older people are given greater respect in the Latino community
than in the Anglo community. I’ve gone to trailers that are really
unsuitable to live in, and I say, ‘Why are you staying here?’ They
answer, ‘At least I have a refrigerator and a car here; I didn’t have
these in Mexico. You haven’t had to go to a river to get your water, or
live with a dirt floor.’ If we weren’t spending so much money on war,
maybe we could help some of these poorer countries develop their
economies. So many people leave because they can’t make a living there.
It’s human nature: if you see a way to give your children a better
life, you go there.”
The most
rewarding part of her job is helping people get their legal status.
“It’s so important for the children, because then they can go to
college here. If there is a qualifying family member (a legal permanent
resident or a legal citizen), we can petition on behalf of other family
members. Legal permanent residents can only help their spouses and
unmarried children. It can take 6-7 years.”
“A US citizen
can also help his siblings, his parents, and married children.
Sometimes we have women who live with a partner for years and have
children, but won’t marry because their father is trying to get them
legal status! This immigration system is broken!” she exclaimed. “When
people get their legal status, there’s a great celebration! People are
truly grateful. They don’t have an entitlement attitude, so when
someone helps them, there is so much appreciation! They bring big
platters of food, or they donate to the program to help another
family.”
Her favorite quotation: “The purpose of life is a life of purpose.”
– Robert Burns.
