(Center of Hope)
By Catherine L. May, Ph.D.
It started as an idea that morphed into a vision that became a shining light.
As the “first tour” caravan of guests parked along the dusty road in front of the single-story building, exclamations of delight rose from the vehicles. The freshly painted sign written in big bold letters read Centro de Esperanza – one of the newest of many improvements to the facility – felt wonderful. The new migrant resource center in Sonoyta, Sonora was becoming a reality after years of caring, planning, working, negotiating, and serving!
John Orlowski, Director, Shelters for Hope, and Mimi Phillips, Ajo Samaritan
In Ajo, Arizona and Sonoyta, Sonora, a small but dedicated coalition of people embraced the vision of Shelters for Hope – a non-profit dedicated to serving the migrant population along the northern border of Mexico. The city of Sonoyta hosts two shelters, one designed for men and the other, managed by the Catholic Church, designed for families. Both shelters are sites of need beginning with a persistent call for food, medical support, clothing, and compassion. In response, the Shelters for Hope and supporting volunteers located a broken-down motel, previously used as a holding spot for migrants and later by area vagrants seeking some measure of protection from the elements. Despite the many structural challenges at the site, the vision of the bi-national coalition is turning a once-fretful facility into an attractive, well-planned resource center that offers much needed support for weary, desperate travelers. Over the years, a variety of allies have supported the shelters: several faith communities, Humane Borders, Ajo Samaritans, No More Deaths, and USA Southwest businesses.
Aaron and Karla
Manager Aaron and Assistant Manager Karla were excited to host their first Open House and offered warm greetings to the tour group. As residents of Sonoyta, the two have developed strong connections with city officials, area businesses, and citizens taking an active interest as future volunteers and Centro de Esperanza supporters.
A beautifully arranged table welcomed the group. It had been a happy coincidence when the Southwest Conference of the United Church of Christ (SWCUCC) relocated its central office to a smaller space and generously donated to Shelters for Hope and Centro de Esperanza. The tour group was honored to be one of the first to enjoy a meal using the donated tables, chairs, plates, glasses, flatware, serving platters, and much more. Following the meal, Aaron offered a tour where he laid out the many plans for the developing facility.
Though not yet complete, Centro de Esperanza already provides medical assistance and clothing to both Sonoyta shelters. In the future, the migrant resource center will open a medical clinic (among Aaron’s many skills, he is a trained paramedic), a playground and kids’ zone, instructional support for children and adults, showers and a laundry area, a media room, and a community center. In addition, the building will offer guest rooms with private bath for volunteers.
Aaron, Karla, and Maria, are witnesses to the daily struggles experienced by migrants. Most arrive in la frontera (the border region) tired, hungry, with clothing in taters, and a pack of meager possessions. The weary travelers find respite and support as they prepare for the next stage of their journey, many to seek asylum in the USA. Centro de Esperanza arranges transportation to Nogales, Sonora/Nogales, Arizona where the migrants are able to connect with legal assistance from the Florence Project. A future hope is to fund an attorney with the Florence Project – one who would be dedicated to Sonoyta migrants. Reality and sadness settled on the group as Aaron recalled one family that had traveled from Chiapas. The threat of violence forced them to leave their home and journey toward an unknown destination to the north. The man was illiterate, unskilled, and without identifying documents of any sort. What could the young family do but lift their faces toward hope? What could the migrant resource center do to assist them toward a viable future? With a combination of frustration and sorrow, Aaron told their story to a silent table.
Catherine and Maria
While the work in Sonoyta continues and the successes at Centro de Esperanza are celebrated, through the challenges and trying times, the volunteers and donors are maintaining consistent and persistent support. Among the shelter supporters, the Ajo Samaritans assist with food and more, No More Deaths is assisting with food and transportation costs, Humane Borders is supporting food purchases and medical needs. An East Valley coalition in the Phoenix metro area, led by University Presbyterian Church Tempe, provides clothes, shoes, and a variety of supplies to Centro de Esperanza. During this recent visit, Maria shared additional ideas for kitchen needs to facilitate her work cooking for large numbers of people and some of those needs have already been filled.
Across la Frontera, from the Gulf of Mexico to the Pacific Ocean, there are organizations, coalitions, businesses, and faith communities that are assisting migrants. While the human suffering persists, many reach out with a helping hand and a compassionate heart. The binational Centro de Esperanza in Sonoyta is one more gleam of light in la Frontera; a light that shines on the suffering and sorrow, embraces the challenges, and reveals what kindness can do in complex, seemingly impossible situations.
If you want to learn more about the organizations, if you want to find out how you may be able to help, here are some resources and contacts:
Shelters for Hope https://www.sheltersforhope.com/
Humane Borders https://humaneborders.org/
No More Deaths https://nomoredeaths.org/en/
Ajo Samaritans http://www.ajosamaritans.com/
University Presbyterian Church https://upctempe.org/ 480.966.6267