Our History

Team TLC NYC was founded by Vinnie Elizabeth in June 2019, a year after the family separation crisis of 2018. She was inspired by the friends she made volunteering at the US-Mexico border in Texas: Team Brownsville. She heard about a network of people greeting asylum seekers at bus stations nationwide and started this group to meet the need in NYC.

TLC soon provided over 300 TLC bags--colorful drawstring bags filled with essentials like toiletries, socks, snacks, and gifts for kids--to asylum seekers at the Port Authority. Before the pandemic, we brought migrant families and volunteers together for regular Community Dinners, with “Know Your Rights” sessions, fun and food!

Team TLC NYC became affiliated as a group of Grannies Respond/Abuelas Responden Inc. in early 2020. Vinnie passed the leadership baton to Margaret Seiler, and in early 2022, Ilze Thielmann took the lead.

Ilze and a few intrepid volunteers were the first on the ground to greet migrants at the Port Authority when Gov. Abbott of Texas started bussing them north. Team TLC NYC, with its partners, Artists Athletes Activists and Adama Bah, have led the response to the many thousands of asylum seekers arriving in NYC since spring 2022.

Now our focus is the Little Shop of Kindness, our free store! We also provide direct services to select families in our network.