Through the organization Bay Area Border Relief, we will be organizing donations to go to families released from immigrant detention, many of whom have been separated from their children, in Texas. Adults and children as young as infants are stripped of everything (even the laces on their shoes) when apprehended crossing the border (most of these individuals are fleeing extreme violence in Central America). When they are released to be reunited with relatives somewhere in the US while they undergo proceedings for their asylum cases, they have absolutely nothing and have not been able to shower for days. A group of professors and students from the University of San Francisco have been working with a local humanitarian center in Brownsville, Texas and are taking a truck of supplies immediately after the thanksgiving holiday.
We are inviting Nia families to donate items, money, cards or time towards these efforts.
PLEASE GET ALL DONATIONS IN BY THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 15TH
Time:
On Saturday November 17, from 2-4p, there will be a parents only work time to assemble the toiletry kits and activity bags, and sort the donated items into bags for delivering to the organizers.
Items:
If you would like to donate new or gently used items, here is a list of what’s needed:
- sweatshirts and t-shirts (any kids sizes or adult small or medium)
-small blankets
- backpacks
- gloves, hats, jackets
- gift cards
Funds:
If you would like to donate money, we will use it to purchase items to make toiletry kits and activity bags for the children. Money can be donated by leaving it in an envelope in the office at Nia House or via Venmo to @Monisha-Bajaj. Please send any donations by November 5 so we can best estimate how many kits/bags we can make.
Greeting Cards:
We would like to add cards of welcome for the children in their activity bags so if you’d like to have your child make cards with words of “welcome” “bienvenidos” or other kind messages of love and hope, please bring them to the office at Nia house by November 15.