Volunteers deliver donations to the Tierra del Oro Migrant Shelter in Palomas, Mexico. Courtesy photo

Boxes staged and ready at the Unitarian Church of Los Alamos to be loaded onto the van for delivery to Deming and from there across the border to the Tierra del Oro Migrant Shelter in Palomas, Mexico. Courtesy photo

UNITARIAN CHURCH NEWS

The Unitarian Church is collaborating with its sister church in Silver City to support the migrant shelter,
Tierra del Oro, in Palomas, Mexico, less than 2 hours south of Silver City.

What started as a small shelter for asylum seekers waiting to head north, has become a transit stop that ICE and the Border Patrol use to expel 100+ detainees every night. These guests at the shelter may only stay 2-3 days but most are in dire need of food, sleep and first aid before they decide where to go next. The supplies collected are transported to Deming, NM and then sent across the border by officially sanctioned individuals.

A van load of 25 boxes of supplies was loaded up Wednesday and is heading down to Silver City this week.  A second van load of donations will be delivered in the first week of April. We invite the community to help
with this humanitarian project. Boxes have been set out in front of the Unitarian Church (1738 N. Sage
St.) for you to drop off donations.
 
Currently there are 40 asylum seekers in Palomas, Mexico including many young children. The many
migrants passing through Palomas are provided with “Go Bags” with a day or 2 provisions as they
continue on their journey. 

Donations for the “Go Bags” include:

FOOD: Single serve size – vienna sausages, cup-of-soup, cup-of-noodles, fruit snacks, fruit cups,
cracker/cookie packs, juice boxes, Pedialyte, small jars of peanut butter and jelly

OTHER ITEMS: small toys, stuffed animals, coloring books and crayons, playing cards.

ADDITIONAL ITEMS NEEDED

• New socks, underwear, sports bras (men’s, women’s, and children’s)
• New or gently used adult walking shoes (up to size 9), and 40″ shoelaces
• Backpacks and shopping totes to carry their belongings
• First Aid/Medical supplies: disposable masks, ace bandages, bandaids, orthopedic boots, tylenol,
  ibuprofen, cough medicine/cough drops, cold medicines, and diclofenac/voltaren
• Toiletries and hygiene products
  
  Please note – we are NOT collecting any other clothing at this time.
  
  Please drop off your items in the labeled boxes in front of the Unitarian Church at 1738 N. Sage St. by
  April 5. Contact the Unitarian Church at (505) 662-2346 or Margie Stockton (mbstockton@gmail.com) if you have questions, would like more information, or would like to contribute financially.