A New Jersey-based singer-songwriter and activist will kick off a North American tour in Saugatuck Tuesday with a benefit concert to help immigration detainees and their families.
All funds generated by the concert will go to Todos Bienvenidos, a new organization formed by local chapters of the anti-Trump group Indivisible.
Cindy Ariel is with South Haven Indivisible, one of the local chapters that founded Todos Bienvenidos.
Ariel said the group will not only help detainees, but also their families.
“They can't pay the rent, they don't have food, they have kids. So, word goes around the Indivisible groups in the community and it's like, who can help out? And people either say, 'Okay, where can I meet you? and give you some cash.' Or, 'I have diapers,' or 'I could buy diapers.”
Blanton is headlining the concert. She said she hopes it will not only benefit the group, but also encourage other activists to keep going.
“I do hope to create spaces for the people organizing the pushback to gather and maybe have a fun time instead of just like a scary time," she said.
Michael Symonds reports for WMUK through the Report for America national service program.
