It’s March 2020. You know that COVID-19 is hitting the United States and businesses are closing their doors across the country, asking their employees to work from home. You’re going to have to do the same with thousands of staff members at shelters nationwide, including direct care staff who provide treatment for youth in person daily. So how do you do it?...
In Early March, Hidalgo County’s Juvenile Justice Alternative Education Program (JJAEP) faced a major decision. The World Health Organization (WHO) had just recognized the novel coronavirus as a pandemic. Schools across the nation were closing. What were they, a program dedicated to providing a safe and structured space for juvenile offenders to receive counseling and...
These are stressful and difficult times for all of us. We’ve not seen a pandemic like this, one that has moved so quickly and shut down so much of our country and the world. I’m so thankful for the way our team has responded to keep our staff safe and ensure the safety of those...
A Quinceañera is a young lady’s 15th birthday celebration – a coming of age tradition in many Latin cultures. In addition to signifying a young woman’s transition into adulthood, Quinceañeras provide a precious opportunity for family and friends to come together and make memories....
1 in 7 people in Texas suffer from food insecurity, and 1 in 4 children are directly affected by food insecurity, which equates to more than 4 million people affected every year. Food Insecurity refers to USDA’s measure of lack of access at times to enough food for an active healthy life for all households’...
At each of our shelters, we provide a safe, temporary home for unaccompanied minors and work to efficiently determine a safe next step for the minor. Within 24-hours of arrival, a minor is assigned a case manager who collaborates with family members to identify a suitable sponsor for the minor. If a family member can’t...
At Southwest Key Programs, we are proud of our work and eager to discuss our experience providing essential care and services to unaccompanied minors who have fled their home countries to seek a better life in the United States. There is no substitute for seeing our work first hand and shelter tours provide important opportunities...
Minors in our care come from all over the world, but the vast majority are from what’s known as the Northern Triangle: Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador. Each of these countries has a consulate office that functions as a type of satellite office for the country’s main embassy. They handle tasks such as issuing visas,...
During cold winter months, our amazing partners help keep our mission warm. This past winter, Junior League of Austin, took things a step further by working with our Adult Services Coordinator, Astrid Duenas and Zenaida Martinez, Blue Cross Blue Shield partner to donate winter coats to our East Austin College Prep students. Through a community...
Brothers Samuel and Diego, 14 and 16 years old, came to the United States from Guatemala. While they were in the care of another shelter, they experienced two failed reunifications that left them both feeling hopeless and upset. They thought they were never going to be unified with a sponsor....