As thousands of asylum seekers wait at the southern border of the United States, Transformations CDC and other partners in Cincinnati are working to welcome families making their way to our community.
Transformations CDC, a non-profit originally started by the bilingual Episcopal church The Church of Our Saviour/La Iglesia de Nuestro Salvador, is helping newly arrived families with resources including cribs, diapers, and transportation from the airport, to the ICE office, and to medical appointments.
“These are families who may have waited up to several years under very dangerous and traumatic conditions at the border. Often their families here have very limited resources to help them get on their feet,” Nancy Sullivan, director of Transformations CDC and member of the Church of Our Saviour/La Iglesia de Nuestro Salvador, says. “If they are traveling on to another destination by bus, they are too often cold, hungry and lacking basics like diapers. Members of the incredible local group Cincinnati Immigrant Transit Assistance meet these buses with food, light blankets, personal products and encouragement. Consider joining them.”
The Holy Spirit/Espiritu Santo congregation in Forest Park is also anticipating an influx of migrants reuniting with family who are members of the congregation. To assist these new arrivals by driving to ICE or medical appointments, meeting buses of migrants, hosting a diaper drive, or donating children’s clothing, email Sullivan.
People who want to assist asylum seekers can also contact Heartfelt Tidbits, an organization supporting families that need to stay in hotels because, Sullivan says, Cincinnati-area homeless shelters are full. The Willows Project does similar work in Springdale and other parts of northern metropolitan Cincinnati.
“We are called to welcome the stranger. How can you participate in this vital work?” she asks.
