Please see the below appeal from Beth Strano from the Phoenix Welcome Center. She is seeking help in expanding capacity to host Asylum Seekers immediately. If churches would like their monetary contributions counted in their giving statement they can send funds to the SWC marked WELCOME CENTER.

Hello everyone,

As of today, the Welcome Center is operating at full capacity and the incoming arrivals of asylum seekers exceed our overnight capacity. The Welcome Center provides services to the most vulnerable, especially families. We have a nightly capacity of 150 with social distancing precautions, with most families and individuals moving on to reunite with loved ones within 24-48 hours. We continue working with government agencies and community partners to support humanitarian aid and basic services for all asylum seekers released in the Phoenix area, but unfortunately the Center itself has a physical capacity that we cannot exceed due to city requirements and public health protocols.

We are actively asking for emergency assistance to expand capacity at our site and of the community at large, to ensure that all vulnerable asylum seekers released in Phoenix and Maricopa County receive medical testing and care, as well as support and safety. The Welcome Center currently serves as a central hub for COVID-19 testing, intake, and donations. There is a need to expand capacity at the Welcome Center itself and to identify additional overnight capacity outside the Welcome Center after initial services have been provided.

The Center is receiving the most vulnerable arrivals today, and our volunteers and community partners are working hard to assist asylum seekers who will likely be released by ICE directly at the Greyhound station. This is heartbreaking for our staff, volunteers, and community partners, particularly due to the advance notification we received and shared with partners anticipating the potential for this to occur. We are prepared and willing to engage in all options to expand our onsite capacity or identify additional locations which can support these families and individuals.

Please share any available information on funding, resources, or emergency actions that can be taken to expand the support capacity for the Phoenix region as quickly as possible.

Beth Strano | Asylum Seekers & Families Coordinator
International Rescue Committee | Rescue.org/Phoenix

Beth.Strano@Rescue.org | 480.202.8196

Pronouns: she/ella

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