The shelter at the Christ Ministry Center in San Diego is a temporary shelter for those seeking asylum in the United States. Many families with babies pass through the 3-bedroom house that serves as a shelter and there was a need for another baby crib. The two Read Your Bible in a Year classes at University UMC of Irvine had raised money for some new bedding for the shelter and there was more than enough for a crib.
It was a timely purchase as there was an immediate need. In late July government officials had admitted a young pregnant Haitian woman into the United States. She was on the streets of San Diego with nowhere to go. Luckily she was found by a worker from the Safe Harbors Network and taken to the shelter at the Christ Ministry Center. Three days after arriving at the shelter she went into labor and at the hospital delivered a beautiful baby boy on July 25. Mother and baby are doing well now at the shelter.
The delivery of the new full-size crib on July 29 provided a bed for the new baby. In addition, the loving hands of Mickey Chase made two crib sheets, finished a baby quilt, made a couple of small baby blankets, and also made 18 smaller baby blankets to give as gifts when clients leave the shelter.
Through the combined efforts of the California-Pacific Conference Disaster Response Task Force and the Immigration Task Force we are helping to meet the needs of some of the Methodist groups that are directly working with asylum seekers. The collectiveness of the United Methodist Church is a powerful force for goodness when directed at the current humanitarian crisis at the border.
University UMC of Irvine is part of a network of churches that stand ready to send supplies and encouragement to those on the front lines of a continuing humanitarian crisis. Those directly assisting asylum seekers know that they are not alone in their efforts to spread God’s love to all people.
The Disaster Response Task Force (DRTF) is an active Cal-Pac Conference ministry. To learn more about United Methodist Volunteers in Mission (UMVIM) and the DRTF, visit calpacumc.org/disasterresponse/.
For questions or to get involved, please contact the Cal-Pac Disaster Response Coordinator, Judy Lewis, at dfjklewis@aol.com or 909.731.8248.
