Six years ago, Alyssa Hernandez spent her evenings assisting immigrants at a local emergency shelter located at Immaculate Conception Cathedral in Brownsville, Texas. She was the only volunteer at the time with medical experience, helping incoming immigrants to recover from injuries and illnesses after a dangerous journey to the United States. ...
When you think of the word resilience, what comes to mind? Maybe it reminds you of a sturdy material like wood or steel. Or maybe you think about the resilience of groups like certain communities or institutions. Have you ever asked yourself if you’re resilient? Can a single person even be called resilient? ...
In February, Horacio Necoechea stood on stage at Free Arts’ annual partner agency conference and accepted the “Spirit of Free Arts” award along with the original artwork Vision by Oliverio Balcells. ...
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?...
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....
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,...
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....