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Volunteers Needed at Las Cruces High School

Approximately 130 asylum seekers that were housed at three Las Cruces shelters were transferred Friday, April 19, 2019 to Las Cruces High School (LCHS) for the weekend. This weekend, new-arriving asylum seekers will be taken there. The asylum seekers will be sheltered in the school’s gymnasium.

LCHS will serve as temporary housing through Monday to consolidate efforts to care for the asylum seekers, thereby giving volunteer shelter workers, many of whom have been working non-stop since last Friday, a much-needed break.

It will also provide an opportunity to reconstitute the three shelters; Las Cruces Gospel Rescue Mission, the Community of Hope and the Doña Ana County Triage Center.

The asylum seekers will be transferred back to their shelters Monday, and LCHS will be given a thorough cleaning prior students returning for classes on Tuesday.

Presently, LCHS is the only area school designated as a shelter for asylum seekers.

Also, the New Mexico Medical Reserve Corps continues to enlist volunteers who want to assist with the influx of asylum seekers in Las Cruces. Earlier this week, the New Mexico Medical Reserve Corps established a volunteer reception center at the Doña Ana County/City of Las Cruces Office of Emergency Management, 1170 N. Solano Drive, Suite O. The center became operational at 1 p.m. April 18, 2019.

People who want to volunteer must be at least 18 years old and will undergo a background investigation that includes a nationwide check for felony convictions and the sex offender registry. Medical volunteers will undergo a check to ensure valid medical licenses.

Volunteer center staff will work with volunteers on scheduling. Non-medical volunteers with computer skills will be assigned to help operate the volunteer reception center, others will be assigned to shelter/donation locations. “We’ll accept qualifying volunteers with all skill levels,” said Bobbie MacKenzie, New Mexico Medical Reserve Corps Volunteer Coordinator.

Register to volunteer at the center between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday to Friday. For information about volunteering, call MacKenzie at 575/647-7910.

Donations are still needed to help with the influx of asylum seekers. Most preferred are monetary donations. For perishable food items, including prepackaged foods, donations should be taken to Casa de Peregrinos, 999 W. Amador Ave. Donations of clothing, personal hygiene products, towels, blankets and foam padding, should go to the Gospel Rescue Mission, 1050 W. Amador Ave.