- (215) 279 7060
- nsm@sanctuaryphiladelphia.org
- 2601 Potter St., Philadelphia, PA 19125
our website is currently undergoing maintenance
Our Model

Inspired by the legacy of people of faith who have joined together in creative, peaceful movements for social change, we confront violent structures and actions with bold compassion and courageous love. We draw on our collective courage and strength to stand up for the rights of all people, regardless of immigration status.
Immigrant-led Community Organizing
Our community organizing model engages congregations and individuals from the Latinx, Indonesian, Caribbean, and ally communities. We believe those most affected by systems of oppression are the ones who know best about what solutions they need and how to fight it, and that’s why the majority of our members, staff and Board are made up of our members - BIPOC mothers and grandmothers. Bringing people together from different countries allows us to introduce organizing practices that are not US-centric.
Build Community Power
We engage congregations and individuals across faith, race, class and immigration status to build an organized community ready to take action. Building powerful communities fight current campaigns and aim to alter the power imbalances for longterm change.
Leadership Development
Once people are engaged, we have a system of leadership development and political education at each level of membership. Using popular education, we host regular workshops, courses and coaching on community organizing and issues that supports members to take on increasing responsibility within the organization. We support our members to discover and build their power within, to connect with others which builds liberated communities that can fight to transform oppressive systems into ones of liberation. Leadership development is longhaul work, and is one of our biggest strengths - he majority of our staff came up from members.
Win structural change
Committees - they are plugged into committees that x,y,z Fight for concrete changes. Long term change - short term reform and long term system TO: Ensure that values of dignity, justice, and hospitality are lived out in practice and upheld in the policy.
Anti-racist practices work
We do all this with practcing anti-racism BECAUSE: the immigration system is not broken but works as designed--to keep white people in power and hoard resources by denying the humanity of Black and Brown people and treating them as less than human. Be specific Faith Rooted - our faith teachings and traditions guide us in our work - challenging us to act, inspiring visions of how we can live together in community, showing us how we engage our opponents, and how we plan our actions. We creatively bring our faith traditions and practices into the public sphere to call for a more loving and just world.
Faith Rooted
Our faith teachings and traditions guide us in our work - challenging us to act, inspiring visions of how we can live together in community, showing us how we engage our opponents, and how we plan our actions. We creatively bring our faith traditions and practices into the public sphere to call for a more loving and just world.
All this moves us toward a broader vision
Belief that even as we work rigorously to dismantle systems of oppression, we must simultaneously build lasting systems of mutual support, collective liberation, and respect for all people. NSM works with immigrant communities and mission-aligned organizations to bend the arc of the moral universe towards justice and transform our communities into a place where immigrants, families, friends, and neighbors are safe, respected, and welcomed; where economic, spiritual, and emotional wholeness are realized; and where borders and divisions disappear as we build a community welcoming to everyone.










let's Stand Together
Get Involved
We work to end injustices against immigrants regardless of immigration status!