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Faith Action’s community ID helps Spanish-speaking residents access services
Summary
Maricruz Hernández of Faith Action described the nonprofit’s community ID program—launched around 2013—to help people who cannot obtain state or federal ID access health care, schools and services. The card costs $10, requires yearly renewal, and is issued at partner events and Faith Action’s office.
Faith Action’s community identification card gives residents without state or federal IDs a way to prove identity for everyday needs, the organization’s office coordinator, Maricruz Hernández, told Talk City Greensboro in Spanish.
“The mission was to make an identification so people wouldn’t be detained just for not having ID,” Hernández said, describing a program that began as an idea in 2012 and was implemented in 2013 to reduce arrests and restore access to health and school services.
Faith Action requires partners (for example, law enforcement or the county sheriff’s office) to sign a written memorandum of understanding before the card is rolled out in a county, Hernández said. The organization issues IDs at its office and at community partner events; regular office walk‑in hours she gave were Tuesdays and Thursdays, 2–6 p.m., and Wednesdays, 9 a.m.–1 p.m.
Applicants must provide recent proof of residence (documents dated within the last 90 days) and a form of identity when available, such as a foreign passport or birth certificate; when standard documents are missing, Faith Action accepts notarized affidavits or secondary supporting letters, Hernández said. The card currently costs $10 and must be renewed annually because longer expiration periods have not been approved.
Hernández said the ID program has spread to multiple North Carolina counties through partnerships and local outreach, and Faith Action works to introduce the card to local agencies and schools so it is recognized where people need services.
The organization asks people to check Faith Action’s website or contact its office for current hours, documentation guidance and partner event locations.
