World Renew Repairs Center for Asylum Seekers
World Renew volunteers hang a green hat at a memorial for victims of a mass shooting in El Paso, Texas. They also repaired a respite center for asylum seekers.
World Renew
The southern border of the United States is a place where vulnerable people look for hope as they leave behind violence, poverty, and fear in their home countries.
At the border, asylum seekers go through initial screening by U.S. immigration services and get legal permission to wait in the country for the next step in their asylum process.
People who complete this process often leave the immigration office exhausted, confused, and afraid. They find their way to a temporary respite center, usually founded by compassionate Christians, to get assistance while they wait for their asylum determination.
At respite centers, weary and vulnerable people are fed, have a chance to take a shower, and get their clothes laundered.
Generally, they stay one to three days while staff at the center help them make contact with family. The asylum process can take months. If asylum seekers have family in the United States, they can send a bus ticket to the shelter to provide transportation for their loved one. They can then house the asylum seeker until their hearing.
After the mass shooting that targeted Hispanic people in El Paso, Texas, in August, staff at a respite center there became keenly aware of the lack of security and safety at their facility.
World Renew Disaster Response Services (DRS) volunteers, along with staff person, Jeff Greenway, made a two-day drive to El Paso to repair the front of the building, including securing the windows and doors.
They also fixed dilapidated showers and bathroom stalls, and made other necessary repairs to the building and fixtures.
Toward the end of their time in El Paso, the volunteers visited the scene of the mass shooting.
They signed a green World Renew DRS hat and placed it in a long row of memorial items left in memory of the victims. It was an emotional experience for the volunteers, who got a small sense of what others were suffering.
“Everyone deserves to feel safe,” Greenway said. “We are grateful to be able to provide a greater sense of security for those who stay at this center.”
