Members of your social justice team have been exploring ways of offering support to immigrants who are seeking asylum and have been admitted to the country legally. These families have applied for asylum on entry (completing all necessary paperwork to do so) and are being allowed to travel to family members in the US who are here legally, and who will sponsor them.
They come with little or nothing, and are bussed by ICE (US Immigration and Customs Enforcement) to the Phoenix area and dropped at local churches who have the ability to provide a shower, clean clothes, food and a place to sleep, for usually 1 to 3 days at most. They will have tickets for the onward journey provided by their family/sponsor. The church also provides transportation to the bus depot.
There are a number of churches and nonprofits in the Valley actively welcoming and providing support. We recently visited a church in the West Valley that has been welcoming groups brought to them by ICE since Thanksgiving.They take as many as 200 people over the course of three days. They have very limited space which is used for sleeping at night, and gathering during the day. Meals are prepared and eaten outside.
We were inspired and humbled by the witness of this congregation and are committed to finding ways that Church of the Palms will support the work they are doing. We hope many of you will join us.
As of this writing, a group of us will be go to the host church on Monday mornings for about three hours (carpooling at 9:00 am from Church of the Palms). Please email Beth Moore ebmoore1@live.com if you wish to join us on any Monday. We encourage anyone to go with us just to meet the people, and witness the work being done. Please feel free to speak with John Durbin or Beth Moore to learn more of the details of this effort.
As we learn more and organize our efforts, we will begin asking you for specific things that are needed. The following are needs that have been expressed at this point. If you wish, you may bring donations and place them in the designated box in the narthex labeled “Asylum Seekers.”
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- Clothing in sizes small and medium for men and women
- Shoes, sweaters, jackets
- New underwear and socks for men, women and children
- Staples: toilet paper, paper plates, utensils, Styrofoam cups
- Hygiene items: toothbrushes, toothpaste, soap, shampoo
- Food items: Coffee; creamer, sugar; bottled water
People are also needed:
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- Drivers to take groups to the bus depot.
- Volunteers on Monday or Tuesday to help with things such as meal preparation; sorting clothes; doing laundry; sitting and visiting with children/parents.