Even as our attention is drawn by media coverage to the desperate situation of asylum seekers on the southern border and in detention centers throughout the country, we are aware that refugees and asylum seekers are seeking respite here in Austin. Casa Marianella has long been a place where the immigrant and refugee might find compassion and assistance in the journey, and St. James’ has had a long history of relationship with Casa. I asked Ellie Singer, a Jesuit Volunteer Corps member working at Casa Marianella and a member of the St. James’ community, to give us an update about how we can get involved. Here is her message:
Hi! I’m Ellie, and I work at Casa Marianella through the Jesuit Volunteer Corps. The mission of Casa Marianella is to help asylum seekers transition from detention center to independence in three months.
Casa Marianella has 40 beds, but, in the past few months, we’ve received multiple waves of families, hosting up to 90 people at a time. This stretches our capacity and creates stressful conditions as Casa seeks to establish a larger housing facility.
You can get involved in providing assistance to asylum seekers in a number of ways:
1. I invite you to worship with us and Proyecto Santiago on the last Sunday of every month (5:00 service, 6:00 Ethiopian food and live music). Come and be present with our community. July 28, St. James’ Day, is a perfect opportunity to celebrate and serve.
2. Volunteer with us. Casa is not well equipped for large groups of volunteers, but consider gathering a few friends or family members to come and help us hold back the chaos by reorganizing and cleaning or playing games with kids. Volunteers who have language skills in Portuguese, French, or Spanish have an opportunity to make a particularly deep impact in our community at this time, but many hands and different skillsets are needed to care for this community. Email volunteer@casamarianella.org if you are interested.
3. Donate to Casa Marianella. Here is a flyer with our most up-to-date list of needed items:
My email address is esinger@casamarianella.org if you would like to learn more.
Blessings,
Ellie Singer
