Funding for Remote Border Shelter: Del Rio, TX

Dear friends and family,

The first week of September, I had the privilege of volunteering with the Val Verde Border Humanitarian Coalition in Del Rio , TX where a tiny group of volunteers welcome over a hundred immigrants and refugees every day of the week as they are dropped at the shelter by US immigration officials. They offer them food, new clothes (when available), a chance to wash their faces, call their loved ones and arrange onward travel from this tiny remote spot to their sponsors who are desperately waiting for them in the US.  Over and over, I heard the volunteers patiently answer questions and most importantly remind them "You are Safe." Those three short words after weeks of traveling, family separations, encounters with traffickers and immigration officials take awhile to sink in, but eventually, the refugees start to relax a bit. Their journey is not over, but they are heading towards the start of their new lives.

I created this fundraiser because so many people want to give back and are not sure how or how to make an impact. This is your chance.

The shelter is operating on a shoestring.  The refugees - both individuals and families - arrive from Cuba, Venezuela, Haiti, Guatemala, El Salvador and other countries.  The volunteers deserve to be paid and not have to choose between helping refugees and supporting their own families. In addition, the shelter provides packed lunches for the refugees as they continue on their journey, but the demand is high and the supplies are running low. 

I have adopted the belief shared with me by my friend Santiago (pictured with me above) that there is no good or evil in the world, but simply an absence of light. VVBHC is light. I hope that you will join me in helping it shine permanently and brighter.

With gratitude and love,

Joanne