Las Familias Solidarity

The Present

          In these uncertain days, it’s easy to get wrapped up with fear of what may happen next year. The El Paso shelter volunteers, however, inspire and remind us to stay focused on the needs of the young asylum seeking families that are right in front of us, in this present moment. Our team was able to serve lunch to a busload of 30 migrants that had crossed legally and just been driven by ICE to the shelter.

          One young couple from Honduras spent a year on their journey to the US border. They fled their home because local gangs were following Jorge home from work and demanding ½ of each day’s wages. When he could no longer afford to pay them and feed his family of 4, they threatened to kill him or his daughters. So the young family left quickly during the night. On their journey north, the family was robbed of all their money by a cartel in Guatemala.  Jorge and Pilar found odd jobs in each country that they crossed to earn enough for bus tickets to the next city. The exhaustion on their faces and the frailty of their 1 and 3 year old daughters revealed the toll of their long journey. During lunch, Pilar told us that she was pregnant and due on December 31st. She had 3 episodes of bleeding the last month, and was worried about her baby. When we asked her what she would like others to know about their journey, she tearfully told us “I thank God that we were not kidnapped by the Mexican cartel. Our family cannot afford the ransom, and we would have been killed.”

Maria from El Salvador and her 3 year old daughter were not as lucky. On her journey north, she paid a cab driver to take them to a bus station in southern Mexico. Instead, he delivered them into the hands of cartel members. The ransom was $3,500, which is 9 months salary in El Salvador! It took a month for Maria’s family and friends to sell belongings and mortgage homes for the ransom. The kidnappers only gave Maria and her daughter only one roll and water each day. Both Maria and her daughter were painfully thin and grateful for the large lunch portions that the shelter provided.

 

The People

            Shelter volunteers, ages 20 to 90, are always working to meet the needs of the Asylum Seekers. An Afghan woman woke at 5:30 in the morning with intense stomach pain. She was quickly transported to a hospital, where the doctor found that she has a stomach tumor. Another volunteer used a phone app to communicate with the woman’s 14 year old daughter in Pashto at the shelter, letting her know that her mother was in surgery, but they would take her to see her mother when visits were allowed.

            Our team brought needed supplies to a new daytime shelter in downtown El Paso. Our friend Michael, retired after a 30 year career with Customs and Border Protection, is teaching immigrants who crossed the border legally, how to fill out the US application for a work permit. This multi-page document must be filled out by the immigrant in English, creating a lot of confusion. The government fee is usually $520, but he found a way to get their fee waved. So far, Michael and other volunteers have helped 300 asylum seekers to obtain their work permits, connecting them with companies that have critical staffing needs. A group of immigrants were being interviewed that day on Facetime by a hospital in North Dakota that needed cleaning staff.

            We listened as another volunteer instructed the asylum seekers how to help their family put down “New Roots” in the US. “First, get a work permit, second, find a job, third enroll your children in school.”

 

Positive Action

            With your help, together we are making a positive difference, always reminding the newly arrived immigrants that “we represent over 200 donors who cannot be here with us. They want to welcome you to our country and let you know that many people care about you and your families. They have provided these items for you.” We often see tears, and hear many words of gratitude and blessings for each of you. One shelter was completely out of women’s winter jackets. We were able to restock them with 270 adult and children’s jackets. This was just in time for the immigrant families that we met who were going to sponsors in New York, Minneapolis and North Dakota. Another shelter had just run out of coffee. We brought them 23 large cans, all with your help.

            Our Las Familias Solidarity team is committed to continue to support the El Paso shelters as long as they are receiving and helping the young asylum seeker families. Staying in the present moment, seeing the people, the needs, and doing what needs to be done, with your help. We cannot do it without you!

 

Please take positive action with us  to support immigrants and the shelters that serve them.

Each month, we take $6,000-$7,000 worth of critically needed supplies for the Asylum Seeker shelters. 100% of your donation goes to purchase these items. Our next journey to the Immigrant shelters in El Paso will be Wednesday, January 8th. Please get any items to us or St. Michael and All Angels by Sunday, January 5th. Please understand that due to a lack of space in our SUV’s and the shelters these are the only items that we can accept.

 

• Adult & children’s winter jackets, like new – adult/small & medium, children/all sizes

• Adult & child warm sweaters, hoodies, like new – adult/small & medium, children/all sizes

• Dishwashing liquid – large sizes

• Disinfecting cleaning spray

• New bottles of Tylenol, acetaminophen, naproxen, cold medications

 

Quicker and Easier Ways to Help - Donations help us buy in bulk to get the best price.

 

• Donate & get a tax deduction - Go to all-angels.com. (St. Michael and All Angel’s parish) Hit the yellow donate button on the lower right corner of the web page. On the donations page, hit the arrow to the right of “Use this donation for”. Scroll down to Las Familias Solidarity. Use PayPal or a credit card to donate.

• Send a Check, We Shop – For a tax deduction, make check to St. Michaels and All Angels. In the memo line put “Las Familias Solidarity.” Mail to St. Michaels & All Angels, 601 Montaño Road NW. Albuquerque, NM  87107 or you can still send checks to Liz Hanna, 2 San Juan Trail, Corrales, NM 87048. We will send you the receipt for the items we purchased.

• Venmo us @Las Familias-Solidarity

• Shop & Send - bring the items to St. Michael & All Angels Parish, 601 Montaño Rd, ABQ.  Monday-Thursday to parish office or Sunday Morning to church. OR deliver or ship to Sharon Palma, 2 Isleta Trail, Corrales, NM 87048.  If you drop off, please text Sharon at 505.249.5046. 

 

If you believe that our work is important, please pass on this newsletter and tell a friend.

With our gratitude and holiday blessings,

Liz & Mike Hanna, Linda McCreary, Denise Ulibarri Clauss, Mike Bourdrez, & Sharon Palma   - The Las Familias Solidarity Team  Contact: liz_hanna@hotmail.com