Meet Betto. He’s the shelter manager at CAME (Centro de Atencion Al Migrante Exodus), and is responsible for making sure this shelter operates safely.
When we arrived in Agua Prieta, Mexico, where the shelter is located, there were about 30 residents in there hailing from Mexico, Venezuela, and even as far as Russia. Betto has been working at this shelter for over 20 years, and in that time has seen many residents come and go, and move on to a better life.
Betto really cares about his residents. He was particularly worried about people coming from Russia – they have a had time communicating in Spanish, or even finding foods familiar to them.
CAME’s budget has been slashed as donations have started dwindling, so residents have had to sink into their own funds to stock the communal kitchen and even to purchase shelter cleaning supplies.
By gifting CARE with culturally appropriate spices, fresh produce familiar to the residents, and hygienic cleaning supplies, we were able to allow the residents and Betto to get more of what each group needs, and direct funds towards longer term investments into the future.
When we arrived to deliver the goods, we found the Russians making homemade noodles for the Latin residents. They were exchanging a meal and exchanging traditions. They even insisted we sit down and break bread with them. Even though they had very little they still had an abundance of hospitality.
I walked away from my experience with a belly full of noodles and a feeling of hope. The world is filled with good people and through cultural exchanges, no matter the setting, we grow stronger in creating peace.
Meet Jilla! Growing up as an immigrant in Minnesota, Jilla learned the value of community from an early age. Throughout her youth, Girl Scouts helped to ground her in that community, nurturing a strong love of where she lives and giving back to the people around her. As the Global Quality & Results Officer at Alight, she supports teams in using data in ways that showcase the humanity of the customer behind each data point. Fun fact, she earned the honor of representing her home locally and internationally as the 2018 St. Paul Winter Carnival Queen of the Snows. She even received a crown and resided over a real-life ice palace!
