The Welcoming the Stranger initiative is a joint effort between Albuquerque Interfaith & New Mexico Dream Team to provide radical hospitality to our neighbors seeking asylum.
July 9 Update
Dear Friends,
The buses have stopped coming, but the urgency to stand up for the asylum seekers who are now being turned away at our border is still with us.
On Sunday, July 14, 4:00 – 6:00 pm at St. Terese Catholic Church, all of the host organizations who welcomed buses from January to June, are inviting those who volunteered or tried to, plus anyone else interested in the asylum process and the importance of defending it, to join us for food an opportunity to share stories and experiences, and plan to take action to defend just immigration and asylum processes in our country.
You can view the invitation in English here, and in Spanish here.
Update for Week of July 8
The donation/distribution center will stop receiving donations this week.
WE ARE STILL EXPERIENCING A STOP IN BUSSES ARRIVING IN ALBUQUERQUE.
Any donation collections that you may have started will be accepted through this week. Please Stop –not hold – donations until further notice.
We will remain in a holding pattern and as soon as we know what is next for the Asylum Seekers we will send out an email blast.
We are thankful for the continuous and generous donations from everyone.
Volunteers… without you, nothing happens.
The donation site: volunteers always welcome… just drop in, there is still plenty to sort.
Open 9-5 Monday through Friday this week. Beginning July 16th we will reduce the center hours to Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday 9am – 4pm until further notice.
St Francis Xavier Catholic Parish
820 Broadway SE – just south of Coal.
enter one block north of Pacific on Santa Fe (north side of Church) through the first gate on the right (south side of street)
This is a dedicated gate for this project. If you enter from Pacific St. you will not have access to the door.
Contact Jan Hans 505 328 1730 text preferred
May we all recognize our common ground as far more worthy of our attention than those few things that polarize us. Let your light shine! Be a beacon of light against the darkness. With an open heart and a listening ear, one can discover the sameness and similarities of all that is desired by most of our fellow man/woman. May we all always welcome the stranger.
Update 6/17/2019 Changes in Arrival of Asylum Seekers in Albuquerque
You may have been reading about changes in the number of families crossing the border, seeking asylum in the US. For the past week, none of the buses previously scheduled to bring asylum seekers to the host sites in Albuquerque have arrived. There are a number of reasons that this could be happening, but for now, the organizations – including Albuquerque Interfaith – welcoming the families and helping them move on to their sponsors are in a holding pattern.
The Donations Center is going to reduced hours and will be accepting a few specific items that will enable them to be prepared should the situation change. Their current needs and hours are posted here.
It is entirely possible that families will again be passing through Albuquerque if circumstances change. The teams from all the host institutions will remain prepared and ‘on call.’
If you have helped with this effort over the past four months, your service is appreciated. There is a special event being planned and everyone who helped or offered to help will be invited. Watch the Broadsheet for more information.
Asylum Seekers Task Force
P.S. If you would like to volunteer for this initiative, please click here, fill out the interest form, and email it to Martha Ketelle at mketelle@gmail.com.
To make a financial donation to Albuquerque Interfaith’s Hospitality Site, make checks payable to:
Albuquerque Interfaith
Memo Line: Welcome the Stranger
Mail to: 431 Richmond Pl NE,
Albuquerque, NM 87106
You can also contribute online through PayPal.
