Four precious children at the border who were not separated from their parents because Safe Harbors Network in San Diego is increasing capacity to shelter immigrants, refugees and asylum seekers. (Photo: Kathryn LaPointe)
Church finds new life as immigrant welcoming center (By Kathy Gilbert, UMNS)
On this calm August day, Novela and his small family are sitting peacefully in the warm breeze under a portico at the center. They are in the pipeline for seeking asylum.
Novela and his wife and child are just three of more than 6,000 immigrants who have made their way through the open doors of this church since June 2016.
The Rev. Bill Jenkins said the 25,000-square-foot church, built in the 1950s, was never intended to be an immigration center. (Read full article)
This year, Safe Harbors Network at Christ United Methodist Ministry Center in San Diego has hosted refugees from Afghanistan, Benin, Brazil, Congo, Eritrea, El Salvador, Ghana, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, India, Mexico, Nigeria, Pakistan, Russian Federation, Sierra Leone, Ukraine, and Yemen. (And, oh yes, the 18 United States citizens born to immigrant and refugee mothers in our care in the last year.)