"This is a place for people to come and give." Gretchen is the head coordinator at the Inn Project, a transition shelter for people who have crossed the border and are waiting for their cases to be heard at immigration courts across the U.S. Although there are a few staff, the shelter really runs on volunteer power. "Volunteers come and do night shifts," said Gretchen. "We have people who come and volunteer just to sit and chat with people, which is so important. They need kind people around them right now." Volunteers at the Inn give so much of their time, energy, and heart to helping families at the shelter get through a very difficult and scary time. But the way Gretchen sees it, time spent at the shelter helps nourish the volunteers, too. "It's an enriching experience to be here," she said. "We learn as much from these families as they learn from us." There's nothing we could do to thank these volunteers enough. But, we could definitely try. Every volunteer … [Read more...] about Home is…
Campaigns
With Open Arms
The Inn Project in Tucson, Arizona, meets people at the end of one part of their journey - but when the next chapter is just beginning. The Project acts as a shelter for people who have gone through the immigration process at the border, but who have yet to go to where their case will be fully reviewed. But the staff at the Inn Project provide much more than a simple transition shelter. It's also a place for families to take a deep breath, to get some questions answered. To be welcomed and unafraid. "We work really hard to ensure that this is a welcoming place," says Gretchen, one of the lead coordinators. "That's what inspires me." One of the ways they can be most welcoming - especially to families - is by having spaces dedicated to children. They're cooped up in the shelter for most of the day, which, as you can imagine, can be particularly tough for the energetic little ones. "We really want to make our kids' area nice," said Gretchen. "They should be able to … [Read more...] about With Open Arms
Lightening the Load
The Catholic Sisters who run the Kino Border Initiative in Nogales, Mexico, have a big job. Every day, they provide meals, guidance, and things like soap and toothbrushes to people either seeking asylum in the United States or who have been recently deported. The needs are diverse - and so is their response. Sitting within a mile of the U.S. and Mexico border, these Sisters feel deeply the incredible challenges families face as they make difficult decisions and an uncertain future. They know that staying safe is a big worry for most people - they don't always know who to trust or where to seek support. That's where the backpacks come in. "When people are deported," said Sister Amelia, "They're all given the same bag to keep their belongings. Everyone knows this is the bag for deported people. It puts them at risk." These families are incredibly vulnerable. And people looking to exploit that know how to spot them in a crowd with their clearly marked bags. The Sisters … [Read more...] about Lightening the Load
Little Learning Library
Jesus is the kind of kid who absorbs knowledge like a sponge. When we visited him and his family at the La Roca shelter in Nogales, Mexico, all he wanted to do was practice his English. He took learning new words really seriously, repeating them out loud and grinning with satisfaction when he got it just right. His family is at the shelter after months of travel through Central America. And now, like the other 60 people at La Roca, he’s waiting for his turn to be interviewed with U.S. immigration. But in the meantime, he’s a little bit restless. He wants to keep learning English, wants to engage his mind. As a twelve year old, you can hardly blame him. For somebody as whip smart as Jesus, the past few months have been tough – his education has been put on hold. And other people at La Roca also told us about how during these days, they’re filled with anxiety on what might be coming next, but they don’t have much to do. One way to expand your mind and stay occupied, … [Read more...] about Little Learning Library
A Stop Along the Way
“This isn’t the end. It’s the beginning.” The La Roca migrant shelter in Nogales, Mexico, is one stop along the journey for families headed north. It’s one of the last touch points before crossing over to the United States, a quiet sanctuary reached after weeks and sometimes months of grueling movement. Cruzando Fronteras, lead by one Reverend Rodger, runs La Roca and four additional shelters in Nogales. Rodger hears lots of stories, many of them hopeful, and many of them filled with pain. Everyone there has experienced extreme trauma, and tragic losses. But despite the sadness, he says, “they are so willing to laugh. To share a joke. They’re incredibly strong. They’re the people I want to spend my days with.” People from across Arizona have shown up in a big way to get Rodger and the guests at the shelter the things they need to feel comfortable, safe, and warm for a few days. But sometimes they need a little extra help rounding things out, especially with people always … [Read more...] about A Stop Along the Way
Bringing Home the Bacon
An important part of our work is making sure that all members of the community are included. Everyone’s voice matters, and everyone’s invited! In the case of the Oruchinga Refugee Settlement, whether you’re a newly arrived Congolese refugee or life-long Ugandan resident, we want you to be a part of the conversation. We’ve spent the last thirty days supporting the food security and livelihoods of both refugees and host community members. Today, we’re especially interested in thanking the host community for all that they’ve done to welcome refugees into their community. So, we decided to target some other host community groups, and were able to give three groups five piglets, similarly to what we did with the refugee groups we met yesterday! One community member, Anthony told us this: “We’re hoping to use the pigs to inspire and encourage others to start other similar groups. Once they see the success of ours, they’ll want to do the same.” Yvonne was equally pleased. … [Read more...] about Bringing Home the Bacon
A Pig Investment
In many parts of the world, livestock are a highly prized commodity. Livestock can be such a sustainable investment, as they often offer an ongoing source of income. Who wouldn’t want that? Today, we looked to see how we might support this highly desired form of income and found ourselves working with three cooperative groups in Oruchinga, who all had refugee-run piggeries! These groups have a track record of success, and we decided to support them by buying additional pigs that would help their groups grow and have a wider impact in the community. Each of the three groups received five pigs — three female and two male — and promised to give us updates on how they were doing. Zawadi, a group leader, was especially excited about the pigs, “the purpose of the pigs is to multiply. Whenever our group has a problem, they can sell one of the pig’s offspring to help the member. Our group has 25 members now and these pigs will help supplement what we have. After the pigs give … [Read more...] about A Pig Investment
Give a Little Bit
Gender-based violence affects millions of women and girls every year. It's a pervasive problem people face daily, and it affects communities across the whole world. With a problem so deep and so global, we work towards solutions that begin by involving the entire community. When more people are aware and on board, instances of gender-based violence begin to drop. By building community awareness of violence, strengthening women’s leadership and capacity to help others, and involving the entire community in creating solutions, we see the greatest results in making the world safer for women and girls. But before community awareness, leadership programming, or anything else, it’s important to first help the individuals impacted by gender-based violence. Before anything else, we work to meet our clients physical and mental health needs. We help women, girls and other victims of violence access the critical healthcare they need. Today, we decided to help a family that had been … [Read more...] about Give a Little Bit
Water You Doing?
For many communities across the world, maintaining access to safe drinking water is a daily challenge. Today, we’re doing the doable to increase water access in Oruchinga while helping out a small business. The business, a small group of men who sell water around the settlement, use bicycles to transport jerry cans full of water from water points to their customers. These customers are typically women who are too busy taking care of other household duties and their families to get water as frequently as they need it. Yesterday, we got a few bikes for the group. But today, we decided to add 20 jerry cans to supplement the small supply they already had and help boost business! According to Francis, the leader of the water vending group, “the Oruchinga refugee settlement faces the challenge of access to safe drinking water, as most of the water sources in the settlement has a particularly high level of iron in it. Therefore, one has to buy water for drinking. We formed this … [Read more...] about Water You Doing?
Bonkers for Bikes
In Uganda, bikes are everywhere! They’re used to carry anything and everything, from bunches of bananas slung across the back, to jerry cans full of water balanced on each side, to mattresses curled up and stacked together in a bundle. There are so many benefits of using these bicycles — to start, it's great exercise! But beyond getting fit, bikes are powerful and efficient. They help business owners transport goods from one point to another, plus they make it easier for people to reach what might otherwise be remote destinations. They’re easy to maintain, affordable, and good for the environment, too! For these reasons and more, it’s no surprise that bicycles are in high demand for the residents of the Oruchinga Refugee Settlement. One group that was seeking more bicycles in Oruchinga was a water vending group. This group has been running for three years, and most of their customers are women who are busy at home looking after children and the house. Many of these women … [Read more...] about Bonkers for Bikes