Yesterday our trip took us to Nogalez, AZ. We met Harry Smith at El Mesias UMC where we delivered 1,344 UMCOR health kits. The pastor of the church, Rev. Eugenio Romero and others were on hand to help unload the kits. From Nogalez we drove to Tucson. Idelfonso Poncho Chavez was our contact there. We did not deliver to a church but a law office that provided storage for the kits. From here the kits will be distributed to other groups that are in partnership in Tucson helping with the border issue. Those groups are Samaritans, No More Deaths, Sasbe and Humane Borders. As we spoke to our contacts at each location, we found they have similiar program features. Both Nogales and Tucson have good working relationships with the US Border Patrol; in that as the Border Patrol is able they provide referrals for assistance. Some immigrants have families here in the US and are permitted to go and stay with family. Both Nogales and Tucson meet immigrants at the bus stations to provide food, water, clothing and information as needed. Both Nogalez and Tucson also have information regarding where deaths have happened during immigrant crossings. Deaths have occured due to illness, injury, dehydration, snake bites and bear attacks. It is difficult to stop the snake bites and bear attacks, but both groups place water in the desert to help with dehydration. They track crossing reports and have found that where they have placed water, the death rate had decreased. To learn more about this, visit nomoredeaths.org
Posted on: Sun, 14 Dec 2014 15:19:44 +0000
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