All Saints’ Border Ministries Mercado has recently been created to make gifts for asylum seekers, or to create other items to sell at our November Festival of the Saints to purchase supplies for asylum seekers. We meet the first Saturday of the month at All Saints’ from 10am - 12pm.
All Saints’ Border Ministries
Border Ministries is an outreach of All Saints’ Episcopal Church in Corpus Christi, Texas. Following Christ’s example, our faith tradition is rooted in His call to serve the hungry, thirsty stranger among us and to welcome and serve our neighbors at the margins. The efforts of Border Ministries are grounded in three of our congregation’s core values: Tradition, Action, and Inclusion.
We work with the Episcopal Diocese of West Texas and other partners to provide support to refugees and asylum-seekers in respite centers at or near the United States–Mexico border. This support includes food, clothing, and medical attention under the direction and coordination of our partner agencies.
​
For more information contact us at borderministry@allsaints-cc.org
Trip to Laredo | March 26th, 2022
“When a stranger sojourns in your land, you shall not do them wrong.
You shall treat the stranger who sojourns with you as the native among you,
and you shall love him as yourself,
for you were strangers in the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God.”
-Leviticus 19:33-34
.png)
Trip to Laredo | December 9, 2022
Three members of our Border Ministries’ team volunteered at La Frontera Respite Center on December 9. They brought belts and donated cinch sacks and backpacks. Upon the group’s arrival in Laredo, they purchased $200 worth of men and women’s underwear and socks with funds from Border Ministries’ generous donors.
The team made about 225 sandwiches for asylum seekers, helped serve lunch and worked in the “Ropa Room,” supporting migrants with obtaining a clean change of clothes.
.png)
Why are these asylum-seekers here, and why is the ministry needed?
There are many reasons why people might legally seek asylum in the United States—physical safety, political persecution, lack of housing, or upheaval due to natural disaster, to name a few.
We believe it is not our role to evaluate or judge why the families have made the journey to our country; rather, our focus is on doing what we can to meet their basic needs for food, shelter, and safety, all while honoring their inherent dignity as Children of God.
What do we do?
Throughout the year, Border Ministries team members travel to various locations in South Texas to work with other volunteers in refugee “respite centers” where asylum-seekers await processing.
On a typical day, Border Ministries volunteers assist with distribution of clothing, toiletries, and other personal supplies, as well as baby food and formula, diapers, toys and other items of interest to the many young children who are in the centers. We also assist asylum-seekers who are navigating transportation systems in order to reach their ultimate destinations.
“For I was hungry and you gave me food,
I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me…”
- Matthew 25:35
How can I engage with Border Ministries?
There are several ways you can engage with this vital ministry:
Learn. Learn about the needs of those who seek asylum in our country. Be aware of what scripture and tradition say about hospitality and aiding those who are hungry, thirsty, and afraid.
Pray. Prayers for the asylum seekers and those on the Border Ministries team are always needed and welcomed. You may also want to assist with making “prayer squares,” or simple stuffed toys for asylum seeking children.
Contribute. The Border Ministries team welcomes donations at regular intervals during the year. We collect diapers, baby formula, new socks, and small toys for children and other items listed below. Please see the All Saints website for upcoming collections. Monetary donations made to All Saints' Church (for Border Ministries) to purchase supplies are also welcomed. Click on the Donate button at the top of this page or send us a check at the address below.
Participate. The Border Ministries team travels to locations in South Texas where our assistance is needed. To participate, a background check and training in child safety may be required.
All Saints’ Border Ministries Mercado has recently been created to make gifts for asylum seekers, or to create other items to sell at our November Festival of the Saints to purchase supplies for asylum seekers. We meet the first Saturday of the month at All Saints’ from 10am - 12pm.
To learn more about the asylum-seeking process and how Episcopal Migration Ministries is engaged in this important work,
click here.
For more information on how you can engage with and support this ministry, contact us by email at borderministry@allsaints-cc.org.