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Palomas 2023 On Mother’s Day weekend in May 2019, without warning, US Border Patrol started dropping hundreds of legal asylum seeking families in Deming, NM (50 miles south of Grant County/Silver City). Most without food, adequate clothing, and in poor medical condition. Our UU congregation immediately began supporting the emergency shelter originally setup at the county fairgrounds and an old WWII airplane hangar. We were the collection site for our county and sent provisions every week. Weekly emails started going out to several hundred people with lists of immediate needs. With those donations we packed emergency food bags (GoBags) as well as sent clothing, toys, medical supplies and food for the shelter. And then, all of that ceased in fall 2019 when the border was “shut,” and the Remain in Mexico (MPP) was strictly enforced. The shelter for asylum seekers in Palomas MX (just across the border from Deming) held a relatively stable number of guests waiting and waiting and waiting… and we transferred our support to them. In June 2020 Border Patrol started expelling dozens (and now hundreds) of Title 42 migrants (preventing anyone from entering the US due to COVID 19) daily into Palomas (a small town of 5000). These guests might only stay 1 or 2 days, but most were in dire need of food, sleep and first aid before they decide where to go next. And because of the pandemic they had to be kept separate from the asylum seekers who were quarantined. Two totally separate shelters have since opened for these expelled persons, including a 5 month old baby recently. We remain their primary source of supplies and the number has climbed skyward. In January 2023 alone, close to 2000 people were expelled into Palomas, with half of them getting a place to sleep and food through the fire station/shelters. We pay stipends to a team in Palomas to provide for them. In addition, in early 2022, the Deming shelter on the US side of the border re-opened for asylum seekers heading to sponsors in the US! They too need food, warm clothing and care. We supply them as well as Palomas as best we can. What we are able to do is dependent on donations from our wider community… locally, nationally and internationally. Although there are needs across the entire southern border, we remain committed to our corner of New Mexico/Mexico which generally gets overlooked in the bigger picture. In doing so we can have a bigger impact in these smaller communities. We remain a totally volunteer group with all donations and monetary support coming from individuals. If you would like to receive our biweekly emails, contact Barbara Gabioud at bgabioud@gmail.com. Note: Driven by the hope for a better future, many migrants who are being expelled from the US will continue to try to re-enter, regardless of the dangers and hardships they face.
10/11/2023 Just
like most of you, I’m sure, we’ve been following the
horrific story in the Middle East. Another age old dispute that creates
death,
destruction and more refugees. So complicated by layer upon layer of
wars and
religious persecution. As
many of you know, my mother was a victim of Nazi aggression in World
War II
because she was Jewish and living in Vienna in 1938. She was fortunate
to
escape with much of her family…but not all. Her story is one of the
reasons I
persevere with our Border Justice Project. We need compassion and
kindness
towards those facing terrible threats and dangers in their home
countries. Ours
is a humanitarian response, not a political solution. And
it’s hard to
feel optimistic when our President chooses to waive environmental
regulations
to construct more border wall. Beto O’Rourke (a Democratic candidate
for
governor of Texas) recently shared some tangible, achievable steps our
government could take. Please take a minute to read this.
OUR
NEXT COLLECTION IS WEDNESDAY, October 18th, from
3:00 to 3:30. Special
needs: NEW
UNDERWEAR IN ALL SIZES, BABY
FORMULA, BABY BOTTLES, COATS IN ALL SIZES, and as always,
SHOELACES. And
for the 800
GoBags we
continue to pack and send every month CRACKER
PACKS,
GRANOLA BARS, and small
cans of VIENNA
SAUSAGES. We
can also
use one gallon ziplock storage bags for the GoBags. We
collect donations on the first and third Wednesdays of each
month, 3:00-3:30, at the UUFSC building, 3845 N Swan (not
our mailing address)
in Silver City. You can drive straight down on either side of
our collection vehicles. We will get you unloaded and then you
can drive
out easily. If you are bringing any of the above GoBag
items,
please let the crew unloading your car know about them. If
you would like to read my last 3 posts they
are available on our UU website http://uufsc.com/ 
9/27/2023
I’m
sure you’ve
recently seen news stories about the crackdown on the Mexican trains
carrying
migrants to the border, and seen live footage with most folks riding on
the
roofs for hundreds of miles. Here’s Gloria, one of those riders. Gloria
is two years old and with her mother traveled through the Darien Gap (a
hellhole of jungle connecting Columbia with Panama) from Venezuela
before
riding the train north. All that, and probably still in diapers.
Colores United
in Deming welcomed them with open arms. If
you would like to hear more from Ariana Saludares, the
executive director of CU, tune in to KURU at 89.1 FM (or on the web
at gmcr.org) tomorrow
morning, Thursday, at 9 AM. Their Centro is receiving upwards
of 300
guests per week with the uptick in border crossings. OUR
NEXT COLLECTION IS WEDNESDAY, October 4th from
3:00 to 3:30. Special
needs: BABY
FORMULA, PUREED BABY
FOOD, BABY BOTTLES, DIAPER RASH CREAM, BABY WIPES, new
underwear (underwear,
socks, sports bras) in all sizes for all ages. FALL
and WINTER CLOTHING. Comfortable
shoes in all sizes. And
for the 800
GoBags we
continue to pack and send every month CRACKER
PACKS,
GRANOLA BARS, and small
cans of VIENNA
SAUSAGES. We
can also
use one gallon ziplock storage bags for the GoBags. We
collect donations on the first and third Wednesdays of each
month, 3:00-3:30, at the UUFSC building, 3845 N Swan (not
our mailing address)
in Silver City. You can drive straight down on either side of
our collection vehicles. We will get you unloaded and then you
can drive
out easily. If you are bringing any of the above GoBag
items,
please let the crew unloading your car know about them.
8/30/2023 Ariana
Saludares,
the executive director of Colores United, sent us this photo. Baby
Elizabeth
was born the day her mother arrived at Mariposa Ranch, the Deming
shelter. She
was named for one of the shelter employees. She and her brother, José,
came
from Guatemala with their parents. These are the kids and families to
whom you
are giving a better life. Two
important pieces of news this week. FIRST, on Monday, Ariana and David
Henkel
(UNM Emeritus Professor of Planning) presented
a profile of Colores United, migration patterns and realities, and
technical
needs of the Deming shelter to a class in the UNM School of
Architecture and
Planning’s Design and Practice Assistance Center. The end result is
that a team
of graduate students and professors will be coming down to
Deming Sept
8-10 to
assess the situation on the ground,
and develop design solutions intended to help reopen the center for
housing of
migrant guests and to sketch out longer-term uses of the space. No more
need
for hotels! Electrical and plumbing infrastructure is so
critical. SECONDLY,
Colores is now accepting FALL and WINTER CLOTHING (especially
for young boys, like José above). I know some of
you have been
holding on to some great donations for just this announcement As a
guideline,
think about clothing you or your children would want to wear when
traveling. OUR
NEXT COLLECTION IS WEDNESDAY, September 6th, from
3:00 to 3:30. Special
needs: BABY
FORMULA, PUREED BABY
FOOD, BABY BOTTLES, DIAPER RASH CREAM, BABY
WIPES, new underwear (underwear,
socks, sports bras) in all sizes for all ages. Comfortable shoes in all
sizes. And
in November we will again be participating in the
Special Holiday Coat Drive that Grupo
Beta sponsors in Palomas. We will be requesting COATS
and JACKETS (hats, scarves and gloves).
And
for the 800
GoBags we
continue to pack and send every month CRACKER
PACKS,
GRANOLA BARS, and small
cans of VIENNA
SAUSAGES. We
can also
use one gallon ziplock storage bags for the GoBags. We
collect donations on the first and third Wednesdays of each
month, 3:00-3:30, at the UUFSC building, 3845 N Swan (not
our mailing address)
in Silver City. You can drive straight down on either side of
our collection vehicles. We will get you unloaded and then you
can drive
out easily. If you are bringing any of the above GoBag
items,
please let the crew unloading your car know about them. If
you would like to read my last 3 posts they are
available on our UU website uufsc.com. It
might give you ideas of other
needed supplies. Click on the Palomas/Deming 2023 link on the left side
of the
page. Or you can dig deeper on our fellowship’s Facebook page htt |
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Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Silver City - 2012
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