Casa Alitas: needs volunteers and supplies Please Read

Volunteers Needed at Casa Alitas: Change or pivot are words that describe very much what goes on at Casa Alitas.  Once again hard decisions needed to be made with the ever-increasing numbers of families being released to us. We have been receiving about 1300 to 1800 guests a day coming to us.   This week we have had to turn Drexel Center into a short-term shelter for families, and single males are being moved to our hotels and/or street releases. The Welcome Center will not be able to house long-term guests to the same capacity it has in the past, so we are working very hard to help these families move on to other living arrange-ments.   This has put our service areas (Food, Clothing, Help Desk, Travel Bags, Toiletry, etc. SEE BELOW) short on volunteer support to help process and serve all of these families.  We are asking you to consider your calendar and see if you have any time available to volunteer with us.  We would love to see your smiling faces supporting our moms, dads, and children by serving food, handing out clothes, doing intake on them, supporting the travel and airport efforts and so much more.Please be aware that we do have a new application process required for all Volunteers (see below).  FOOD: Specifically with Food Services we need volunteers to help us hand out three meals a day at all of our locations.  We no longer use SUG as our scheduling software, we are now using Volgistics for all Volunteers, and to access this service you can use this address to sign up after you have completed the new application process (see below)…https://www.volgistics.com/appform/705225219  CLOTHES: Tienda news and needs…As we enter this holiday season, and are dealing with the  dramatic changes in our ability to serve our guests while facing enormous budget and funding shortages – we are asked what are our needs?…  Right now, these are the IMMEDIATE and URGENT needs regarding the Tienda clothing.Hoodies, Jackets, coats, sweaters – all genders, all sizes, for all ages (can be gently used). Long sleeve men’s shirts (flannel is great). S-M-L-XLOnly Small men’s pants or any men’s pants waist size 26” to 33” ONLYLarge size men’s shoes (practical) sizes 9-13 NO WOMEN’S CLOTHES – only Lycra pants  XS-MNO BABY CLOTHING AT THIS TIME Socks and underwear new only – all sizes men S-M-LWomen’s underwear new only S-MGirls’ underwear new only sizes 4-14 Kids’ socks new only, all sizeshair tiesKids’ tops and pants sizes 2T – 14 warm only (no summer clothing please)Hats (beanies), gloves. All genders all sizesBackpacks or bags for our guests who only have onion bags or plastic bagsThank you in advance for your continued support and generous donations as we all join together to serve our guests, welcome them in and then send them off to begin new chapters in their lives.  Your donations help to restore their humanity.  HELP DESK:We would like to invite interested volunteers to train for the Casa Alitas Help Desk.  This important role will provide you the opportunity to talk individually with guests and make a personal, though brief, connection that can really make a difference. For many guests, just explaining how to travel by plane or bus and handing them a resource sheet to seek legal counsel for their asylum cases is all they need; for others with more complex problems, if you can’t answer all their questions, you can refer to Alitas staff.   Patience, kindness and persistence in problem solving are key qualities at the Help Desk.  If you speak Spanish, French, Arabic or other languages and would like to learn more about the Help Desk, please contact volunteers@casaalitas.org.  AIRPORT ESCORTS: Most of our guests have no other decent option than traveling by air, and for the majority of them who have no experience with airports and hurling through the air, the entire ordeal is quite stressful and confusing. Airport Escorts are a huge help, providing guidance, general support, food, and assistance with just about every necessity the guests need during this trying time. The Airport Escorts team needs more Volunteers to cover the busy times at the Tucson airport. Without them, the guests are left with very little help to make it to their flights, and considering what they’ve already been through as Asylum Seekers, help from an Airport Escort is an incredible relief compared to doing it alone. To volunteer as an Airport Escort, please contact volunteers@casaalitas.org. NEW APPLICATION PROCESS: If you are able to come in and help, please remember We do have a new application and background check process that we are asking all Volunteers to complete by January 1, 2024 (link for getting to the new application here: https://diocesetucson.org/employment-opportunities). If you have been a previous volunteer, with a background check and training, we would love to have you come in to help out while your application is being processed. For existing Volunteers who would like assistance with signing up for Volunteer shifts, Please contact Mike Mele, at volunteers@casaalitas.org to get instructions on using Volgistics, and to contact the Coordinator of the area you would like to volunteer in, and he will get you connected to sign up and trained as needed.A special thank you to all of our active Volunteers, we couldn’t do it without you!!!