A message from our Founder & president, kimberly Palomino
Hello! My name is Kimberly Palomino. I am a high school senior, and I am the founder of Dreams United, a non-profit organization that strives to build a bridge connecting American youth nationwide to write letters of love to unaccompanied minors currently in immigration detention centers. As the daughter of a Peruvian immigrant who endured a treacherous journey here to the States 25 years ago, my heart connects with hundreds of young immigrant children who carry that same sense of wonder to lead a better life here in the States.
I grew up in a household that always emphasized the message that no dream was too big for America. From my parents's immigration story, I learned the profound significance of how providing love and unconditional support can change the trajectory of one's life. In 1988, in the heart of the Amazon Rain Forest, my father, then a young tour guide with a face etched with sweat and hope, met the Bixby's from Traverse City, Michigan. They taught him the true meaning of dreaming beyond borders.
“Would you like to come to the States with us, Victor?” said Bixby's to my 19-year-old father.
In my early childhood years, I grew up surrounded by the kind-hearted American family that took a chance on my father and whose act of immense kindness changed the course of my life. Without them, I would not be blessed to call America my home. Although they may not be present to see how inspired I am by their love that truly transcended borders, I want to make sure their kindness lives on through my actions.
Through our efforts,Dreams United has gained nationwide support and love to empower our global immigrant community. As our demographics are rapidly diversifying, it is essential to understand that although we all might've endured different obstacles and come from various walks of life, there is something we all share in common, and that is the desire to fulfill the American dream. a universal dream that has brought people from all corners of the world to swim across oceans,traverse the driest of deserts, and trek across the densest of forests.
At Dreams United, we want to unite a diverse community to come together to show the hopeful hearts of immigrant children that they are not alone on this journey. The families that take on this life-threatening journey unfortunately get separated at the U.S.-Mexico border and get placed in different facilities. Within these centers, their situation becomes increasingly uncertain with the unknown status of pending reunification. Children from the ages of 4–17 become isolated and experience feelings of loneliness. Images like these came to life when my young cousins would tell me their personal experiences of life in the shelters.
Although we cannot change what these young children have endured,we can provide a beacon of hope to these young dreamers through heartfelt letters of love. The topic of immigration doesn't have to be personal to you to understand the human need for love and support. These children have dreams,hopes, aspirations, and desires just like you. I want to thank everyone who has contributed to Dreams United and supported our cause of spreading love and hope, one letter at a time.
I grew up in a household that always emphasized the message that no dream was too big for America. From my parents's immigration story, I learned the profound significance of how providing love and unconditional support can change the trajectory of one's life. In 1988, in the heart of the Amazon Rain Forest, my father, then a young tour guide with a face etched with sweat and hope, met the Bixby's from Traverse City, Michigan. They taught him the true meaning of dreaming beyond borders.
“Would you like to come to the States with us, Victor?” said Bixby's to my 19-year-old father.
In my early childhood years, I grew up surrounded by the kind-hearted American family that took a chance on my father and whose act of immense kindness changed the course of my life. Without them, I would not be blessed to call America my home. Although they may not be present to see how inspired I am by their love that truly transcended borders, I want to make sure their kindness lives on through my actions.
Through our efforts,Dreams United has gained nationwide support and love to empower our global immigrant community. As our demographics are rapidly diversifying, it is essential to understand that although we all might've endured different obstacles and come from various walks of life, there is something we all share in common, and that is the desire to fulfill the American dream. a universal dream that has brought people from all corners of the world to swim across oceans,traverse the driest of deserts, and trek across the densest of forests.
At Dreams United, we want to unite a diverse community to come together to show the hopeful hearts of immigrant children that they are not alone on this journey. The families that take on this life-threatening journey unfortunately get separated at the U.S.-Mexico border and get placed in different facilities. Within these centers, their situation becomes increasingly uncertain with the unknown status of pending reunification. Children from the ages of 4–17 become isolated and experience feelings of loneliness. Images like these came to life when my young cousins would tell me their personal experiences of life in the shelters.
Although we cannot change what these young children have endured,we can provide a beacon of hope to these young dreamers through heartfelt letters of love. The topic of immigration doesn't have to be personal to you to understand the human need for love and support. These children have dreams,hopes, aspirations, and desires just like you. I want to thank everyone who has contributed to Dreams United and supported our cause of spreading love and hope, one letter at a time.