Of course, people struggling through displacement and seeking asylum need the basics – things like food, water, and shelter. But only serving basic needs does not do justice to the complicated human beings at the center of our work, who yearn and hope for better days ahead.
That’s why, after we gathered an all-star group of volunteers to assemble hygiene kits for asylum-seekers at the border, we wanted to do something more…something to let them know that there are people out there, however unseen, who are wishing them well on their journey.
A hand written note can speak volumes – so together, we got to work.
We wrote hundreds of cards, some in Spanish and some in English, to send along with our hygiene kits for people waiting at the border.
The notes contained messages of welcome, of support, of encouragement, and of love. They let people know that they’re not alone – and they spoke volumes about the kindness and generosity of this incredible group.
Just a few days later, those messages were delivered to migrants in Agua Prieta, Mexico, who were waiting for their case to be heard by U.S. immigration. They were floored – they couldn’t believe that so many people in faraway Minnesota cared enough to write a note.
The Alight team put them up on a wall for everyone who passes through to see, a gentle reminder that all is not lost. That they were not invisible. That they are seen and cared for.
