Friday, July 18, 2014

Crisis at the Border from Our Sisters in Los Angeles


US/Mexican Border
We have all heard of the plight of many women and children who are crossing the border in Texas, California and Arizona.  They are coming mostly from Central America.  During one of the retreats held in June, it was suggested for some of us to be “first responders."  Sr. Loraine Polacci  and Isabel Malloy, CSJA from San Francisco, have responded by volunteering for  the month of July to work with Catholic Community Services in Tucson and Nogales with their program of migrant  women and children.  We as a province also have sent a monetary donation to the Catholic Community Service in Tucson.

Loraine and Isabel volunteered and received the following response from Tucson:

Your Sisters are needed!    I was at a meeting today with Bishop in the lead, the Mayor and 20 plus others from agencies, MX Council, and so on. One thing came up, that the Border Patrol is mostly men…and so they don’t have enough women to take on the “womanly” care of the children that is needed – relationship wise.  Welcome to the Sisters!

From Loraine:

…Dear Theresa, Isabel and I arrived safely in Tucson Sat. afternoon.  Judy Bourg, SSND is staying overnight as well.  She works with the migrant center in Douglas, and once a month does the "water drop" at strategic migrant areas.  This morning Isabel went with her.  I am staying with Michelle Humke to sort out what we both know.  Michelle says there is a meeting at CSS tomorrow about the sheltering in Tucson around the 4th.

…Yesterday we went to Nogales to a Red Cross training.  Volunteers will assist unaccompanied youth make phone calls to family--in their home country or their relative who will accept them here---  Great training with very good guidelines to protect the volunteer as well as the youth. 

 …Last night we went to the catholic social services training.  Volunteers will accompany women, their children and pregnant women who have been dropped at the greyhound bus station, to get to the right bus. Also house overnight those whose bus does not leave until the next day.

It feels good to finally have something concrete to do.  We are going to the bus station today for some more training. 

 I am so grateful for your prayers and support. 

Loraine

No comments:

Post a Comment