Reception and Welcome Asylum Seeker Transition Shelter Program

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Below are updated lists of volunteer and donation needs for the asylum seeker transition program in Phoenix, provided by Lutheran Social Services of the Southwest.

Volunteer roles

  • Shelter Set – up – Assist the church to set up the shelter in their facility

  • Check-in – Man the front table to check in volunteers

  • Food Service – Assist to serve food to asylum seekers. This may also involve cooking and cleaning up after food service, depending on the facility.

  • Clothing Bank Attendant – Assist to set up, distribute, and store clothing for the asylum seekers.

  • Travel Assistance – (Bilingual preferred) – Assist asylum seekers to make travel arrangements by contacting their relatives by phone and helping them to process the purchase of bus or airplane tickets.

  • Driver/Escort – Drive and escort asylum seekers to the bus depot or to and through the airport assisting them to get through security and to their gate.

  • Security – Providing security to the church facility during the shelter operation

  • 2nd Shift – (Bilingual preferred) providing supervision and assistance to asylum seekers during the night of their stay in the shelter.

  • Shelter break-down – Assisting the church to break down and store the shelter.

To join the volunteer team please contact Ruth Escobar, Volunteer/Donation Coordinator 480-396-3795 x2018 (office) 602-769-1305 (cell)

Donation needs

MEDICAL SUPPLIES for medical kits

  • Medical Kit Contents: Given in a 3 drawer or in rubbermaid tub

  • Pedialyte-2

  • 2 Thermometers with shields

  • medicine cups (3 sleeves

  • lotrimin cream-foot cream

  • antibiotic cream

  • hydrocortisone cream

  • large package of 4x4 gauze pads

  • 2 gauze rolls

  • 2 medical tape

  • 4 liquid tylenol kids

  • 2 infant tylenol

  • children’s cough medicine

  • nausea medicine

  • diarrhea medicine

  • 2 bottles pepto bismol

  • 1 box UTI treatment

  • box of gloves

  • box of masks

  • box of normal bandages and antiseptic wipes

  • 2 small bottles aleve

  • 2 night and day cough and cold-pills

  • 2 cough syrup for adults

  • 1 large bottle tylenol

  • 1 large bottle ibuprofen

  • 1 bottle mucinex

  • 1 bottle zyrtec

  • 1 bottle benadryl

  • 12 small medicated foot powder/1 large bottle foot powder

  • 1 regular bottle aspirin

  • 1 bottle chewable aspirin

  • Comfort blankets

  • Plush toys

FOOD - Travel snack bags for the bus ride

  • High protein, non-perishable snacks enough for a three-day bus ride

  • snack sized nuts, crackers, granola bars, packaged in Ziplock bags.

HYGIENE ITEMS

  • Women's hygiene products (pads and panty liners only please)

  • travel size soaps

  • travel sized hand sanitizer

  • travel size wipes

  • diaper/wipe kits (enough for a few days only)

  • combs/brushes travel sized

  • toothpaste, toothbrushes travel sized

  • deodorant

  • foot cream/powder

  • hand lotion travel size

  • infant sized comfort blankets

  • baby pillows

  • small plush toys

  • coloring books

  • small packets of crayons (or a few markers in a ziplock bag

  • wipes – travel sized

CLOTHING

We also provide one change of clothing for each migrant all sizes for adults should be S/M (no large sizes)

  • New underwear - Mens/Womens S/M - Childrens

  • Tennis Shoes - Mens size 5-9 Womens size 4-7 - Childrens all sizes

  • Winter coats - Mens/Womens sizes S/M - Childrens all sizes

  • New socks - all sizes

  • Hats, gloves, scarves

  • Sweat pants Mens/Womens S/M - Childrens all sizes

  • New bras - small and medium sizes

  • Baby clothes, all sizes

CLEANING SUPPLIES, PAPER PRODUCTS, & COFFEE

  • Disinfectant

  • Window cleaner

  • Laundry Detergent

  • Dish soap

  • Brooms

  • Mops

  • Industrial buckets

  • Paper plates, bowls, hot/cold cups

  • Spoons, forks

  • Napkins,

  • Paper towels

  • Toilet paper

  • Pitchers for water

  • Coffee

In each hosting site, medical professionals assess the health of every migrant and administer medicine as needed. We are supplying the churches with medical kits that they can keep on hand for the medical professionals to use. Secondly, each migrant is given a backpack which is supplied with snacks, hygiene items, and children’s toys/books to take with them on their bus journey home to their family in America. Many of the migrants will be on the bus for three days or more. For additional information please feel free to contact Sarah Eary, Community Integration Manager/Reception and Welcome Program Coordinator, at 602-803-0199. Donations can be dropped at their offices at 2502 E. University Dr. Suite 125 Phoenix, AZ 85034.