- September 14, 2021 Social Justice, Community
By Jenny Beatrice, Director of Communications
In April, three Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet drove from St. Louis to the U.S./Mexico border in El Paso, Texas, in a van filled with donations of medical supplies and clothing for migrants at the border. It wasn’t their first trip to volunteer at a border shelter, but it was the first time they had so many donations that they couldn’t fit them all in the van.
Word of the drive had made its way through the St. Louis area, not only reaching the Catholic community but the Jewish community as well. The outpouring of support from both groups led to a second trip south with the goods to a Catholic Charities shelter in Laredo, Texas. It also led to the formation of Helping Hands, a grassroots, interfaith collaborative formed to support the Laredo shelter, La Frontera.
Helping Hands is the collaboration of the Sisters of St. Joseph, the Peace and Justice Commission of the Archdiocese of St. Louis, St. Francis Community Services and the Jewish Community Relations Council of St. Louis (JCRC). With connections made, members of these groups quickly orchestrated an effort to get volunteers and donations to La Frontera, which provides lodging, food, clothing and other basic necessities for hundreds of migrants arriving mostly from Mexico and Central America.
“We have been overwhelmed by the generous outpouring of support from our parishes, synagogues and religious congregations,” says Marie Kenyon, director of the Peace and Justice Commission of the Archdiocese of St. Louis. “Even though only 20 of us are going, literally hundreds of people have enabled the journey to happen. We are so grateful for all of the prayers and support.”
Sister Maureen Freeman, who first brought the surplus supplies to the shelter in Laredo, saw the needs of this small center first-hand. “We brought medical supplies, but there is no practitioner to dispense them," S. Maureen says. "The beautiful thing is we kept running into children and adults who were wearing the clothes we brought. There is so much need.”
The group has four teams of five volunteers each to cover four weeks at the center. The mission began on July 18. Airfare, transportation and accommodations for volunteers are covered, thanks to many generous donors. Volunteers assist at the shelter by organizing supplies and donations, cleaning, preparing food, assisting with registration and helping with transportation.
“With ‘welcoming the stranger’ being a core belief within both our religions, so many have asked how to help,” says Alyssa Banford, director of civic engagement at the JCRC. “Thanks to our many generous donors, we were able to coordinate this effort to support the vast needs of La Frontera and their clients.”
If you would like to support our border ministry and Helping Hands, please donate online using the form below or send your donation to:
Helping Hands
c/o Mission Advancement Office
Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet
6400 Minnesota Ave.
St. Louis, MO 6311