“We want our guests to feel like they are at an airport.”
Guests arrive at the Casa Alitas respite center in Tucson after having been processed by immigration. They spend a couple of days or weeks until they can go to their final destination, where their sponsors are located throughout the USA.
When I think of an airport, I imagine a well-oiled machine of time-tables and schedules – and that is exactly what you find at Casa Alitas. Nearly every room has printed lists of schedules of when families are scheduled for their bus departure, transfers, if any, and where they’re heading.
Some rooms contain monitors that display and update, much like an airport. This information is vital for keeping everyone organized – the asylum seekers, the 1,000 volunteers per week, and the one paid staff person. Since the center has seen over 14,000 asylum seekers pass through its doors since October 2018, this is a big job!
Due to the sheer volume of people that this location hosts, they are moving to a larger space in Tucson where more TVs will be needed. so we pitched in to help, getting them two additional TVs to ensure that everyone can stay up to date.
With just this small boost, we’re hoping that the folks at Casa Alitas will be able to continue to provide world-class service to those along their journey.
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!
