We are a group of refugees from the refugee and migrant camp that was hosting hundreds of migrants and refugees living at Riverton Park United Methodist Church (RPUMC). While living there we were required to either live inside the church but the majority of us lived outside in more than 100 tents on top of wooden flats in the mud, makeshift structures, or in their cars on the property of the church for up to 10 months.

After the extreme cold weather last week, we were moved into temporary hotel stays by the church and local government, and after only 5 days were required to leave the hotel by the City of Tukwila (the police were called requiring us to leave - which we complied due to not wanting our asylum cases impacted) - even after holding a press conference demanding that the government at the city, county, and state provide adequate housing due to the inhumane conditions at the Riverton Park encampment that we have experienced for the past year, and extreme neglect by the local government.

At the camp there was an overall lack of safe and healthy foods for people to eat, scarcity of potable water, lack of sanitation leading to dirty living conditions with an active rat, mouse and cockroach infestation. Many people, including children, had serious health issues due to the unsanitary conditions and those with pre-existing conditions, such as heart and dental disease were exacerbated.

We have since created our own organization, Mãos Unidas Pela Solidariedade (Hands United in Solidarity), representing approximately 70 refugees primarily from Angola, Congo, and other areas of Africa. We developed to be able to use our own voices to share our own stories and organize for our own solutions.

Because of these terrible conditions and the government actively neglecting our appeal - leaving us to either sleep outside or in a garage with space heaters - we refuse to return back to Riverton Park UMC. We therefore have had to rely on community organizations, churches, and individual donations to support us in providing temporary housing while we organize to demand a long-term and sustainable solution - not just for ourselves but all refugees and migrants who lived at Riverton Park UMC and ALL future migrants and refugees coming to the US.

Our demands include:

1. Safe, clean, and dignified long-term housing (6-8 months) for families and single individuals (who are the most neglected) with access to a kitchen so that we can be self-reliant from the government (Washington State & King County)

2. Work permit wait restrictions lifted immediately for all asylum seekers in Washington State so that we can begin working contribute to society

3. Access to free or pro-bono lawyers to support our asylum cases

4. Access to free and quality healthcare and dental care

5. Access to college or technical education so that we can have access to quality jobs

We appeal to Governor Jay Inslee of Washington State, State Senators, King County Executive Dow Constantine, and the federal government to consult directly with us and to provide a solution to these demands immediately. Our lives are at risk as we continue moving from location to location within the state without any security for where we will live the next day - and we refuse to continue to be neglected by the government when we come here to seek a better life.

We would like to thank Riverton United Methodist Church for welcoming us and providing a place for us here in Washington State. And we are now asking the community, churches, and others to support our appeal for better conditions.