Casa de Paz Board member Sister Nancy Wellmeier, SNDdeN spends her time between Cincinnati and Phoenix, AZ, working with various non-profit organizations and individuals on the move. She takes advantage of her location in Phoenix to visit the Kino Border Initiative (KBI) in Nogales, Sonora, Mexico. On her recent visit, Sister Nancy wrote to us from Phoenix, where she serves as a long-time volunteer at the Welcome Center of the International Rescue Committee (IRC).
“Families on the move arrive at the Welcome Center from countries such as Honduras, Senegal, El Salvador, Mexico and Guinea. They are offered medical care, showers, clean clothing, and legal information. They express gratitude and offer smiles when I speak to them in Spanish, French and English to offer a blessing. I am always impressed by the work of the IRC to offer humanitarian support to families fleeing violence and persecution. When I visited KBI, the organization’s weekly report offered stories of families forced to flee their homes because of threats of violence by the drug cartels, which are often linked to the local police. In the past month, KBI received over 20 reports of family separation at the border. In fact, in January, KBI staff encountered eight unaccompanied minors that Border Patrol had returned alone to Mexico, all of whom had traveled with family members. Families and individuals on the move are victimized by drug dealers, Border Patrol and misinformation spread by the press and politics. I am grateful for the opportunity to connect with asylum-seekers and offer blessings. It reminds me of our important work at Casa de Paz. We welcome women and their children who need to leave a difficult situation. They arrive to us with the hope and resilience to begin a new life, free of violence.”
If you are interested in connecting on a human level with families facing challenges in our community, please contact Casa de Paz for more information on how you can become a volunteer.
