Description
Join us in Arizona and Sonora, Mexico to provide humanitarian aid to asylum seekers!
April 6th-13th, 2024
or
April 14th-21st, 2024
We are so excited to bring groups to the border! We will be providing direct humanitarian assistance to refugees in need, putting life-saving water out in the desert for those walking to safety, and meeting with inspiring change-makers who have dedicated their lives to the plight of migrants.
We have room for 10 participants in each trip. If you would like to join us, please fill out this short questionnaire.
We hope you can join us!
Are you a teacher? You can get graduate-level university credits through the University of the Pacific when you take our classes! More info here.
Price:
$1800. per week
$400 non-refundable deposit due after your application is accepted. Balance due March 14th.
Email [email protected] about scholarships.
Includes:
- 7 nights lodging (2 nights in Tucson, 5 nights in an AirBnB in Arivaca, AZ (double occupancy or single occupancy for an additional fee.)
- Breakfast, lunch, snacks, and four dinners. Breakfasts will include several options including eggs, toast, oatmeal, fruit and cereal. Simple packed lunches when we are working at the wall.
- Transportation once you get to our meeting point in Tucson. (Possible airport pick up depending on timing.)
- Donations to the humanitarian aid groups we work with.
- Food and supplies purchased for asylum seekers.
Does not include:
- Airfare to Tucson and baggage fees
- Your transportation to our meeting point in Tucson
- Any personal expenses
- Beverages (other than coffee, tea, water)
Location and activities:
We will be staying on a ranch located near Arivaca, Arizona right next to the border wall where asylum seekers from all over the world arrive in the US and await border patrol. It is here that we will work to provide a warm welcome, water, food, first-aid support, blankets, and access to wifi and cell phone charging. Every day is different and there is no way to know if there will be a group of 20 or 300 there when we arrive. On quiet days there is always plenty of trash clean up and other jobs to do around the camp.
We will spend 2-3 days working at this site. They will be long days– and we will be on our feet for many hours. At the wall we will likely work alongside other volunteers from the Samaritans and No More Deaths.
We will also spend a day hiking in the desert putting out water for migrants with No More Deaths. We also plan to volunteer at the Casa de la Misericordia in Nogales, Sonora. We will meet with two of our heros John Fife and Dora Rodriguez who have dedicated their lives to serving migrants.
Elissa and Andy will be your guides on this journey. We will be in the area a few weeks before you arrive and so we will know where our group can best serve and we will have made more connections with people who we will be meeting with. For that reason, we are not providing a detailed itinerary at this time. Even once the trip starts, changes will be made to the plan as opportunities arise for us to learn and be of service. We will share more about the connections we are making as we go!
We need to emphasize that this trip could be physically challenging… there is no furniture at the wall site… We will hike in the desert on a migrant trail (you can also choose to stay at the AirBnB and enjoy that beautiful spot.) You don’t need to be in tip-top shape (we’re not!) but you need to enjoy walking and moving. There are also no bathroom facilities along the border wall, so if you have to go while working there it will involve digging a cat hole in the surrounding National Forest or using a rustic pit latrine.
You also need to be aware that there is a chance we will have uncomfortable encounters with vigilante groups as well as Border Patrol. We did not encounter vigilante groups while we were at the wall in December, but our friends who are still there say that they have a stronger presence there now. They come to the wall to try to intimidate the aid workers and the refugees.
Most of the Border Patrol agents accept (and sometimes appreciate) the humanitarian aid workers, but there are a few who do not. When we were there an officer threatened to arrest us for trespassing. We spoke to a local lawyer who assured us that the BP agents are way too busy to spend their time arresting aid workers and if they did the Attorney General of Arizona will not prosecute any cases against people providing humanitarian aid. Our local friends say BP has not been threatening aid workers lately and have even asked for help with transporting asylum seekers!
When we get together we will talk about how to handle either of these situations if they arise.
You should also expect to be deeply moved by the connections you make with the people we meet at the border. Our work at the border wall was one of the most profound experiences of our lives. (And we have had lots of profound experiences!)
Lodging: We will spend the first and last nights in Tucson in order to accommodate different arrival and departure times. Tucson lodging details TBA. For the remaining 5 nights, we will stay at an AirBnB in Arivaca, AZ. The house has 6 bedrooms, most of them double occupancy. Every bedroom has AC and a private bathroom. Arivaca is a small town surrounded by National Wildlife Refuge. Are you a birder? You’ll love this area! (Pics of the AirBnB below.)
Transportation:
We will be renting a passenger van in Tucson. We will also have our camper van to transport supplies.
Weather
Average low is 51 Average High 82. Perfect temps! Also, the desert will be in bloom!!!! We’ll send out a packing list once your participation is confirmed.
Spanish/French
Spanish is not required, but it is very helpful for communication with Spanish-speaking refugees. We will be there to translate when needed. (And there is always Google Translate!) While we will not be teaching formal Spanish classes during the trip (unless requested), you will be able to hear a ton of Spanish spoken and will have many opportunities for practice if you are looking to improve your Spanish. If you speak French you will likely put it to use talking to folks from Senegal!!
About us:
We are excited to be bringing groups to the border again! We used to lead 2-week expeditions for high school students to study immigration from multiple perspectives. Our daughter traveled with these groups to the border for the first 5 years of her life! Fifteen years went by and she went to college and we went back to the border. We knew we wanted to be of service, but had no idea just how much help was needed and that we could make a significant difference. We spent two weeks of December 2023 working with refugees at the border wall and we are eager to go back to help some more. Aside from this work, Elissa runs Express Fluency language school and Andy has a coaching practice called Realizing Human Potential. Now that we are “empty nesters” we live in Putney, VT, Sag Harbor, NY and also out of our van. Back in the day we helped start two high schools: Shackleton School and Watershed School. We’ve led trips in North, Central, and South America as well as Africa. Andy worked as an EMT and with volunteer search and rescue for many years. We have a small pup named Rafa who traveled with us to the border and provided affection and entertainment for children there. We love traveling and outdoor adventures. We’ve been together for almost 30 years and still enjoy each other’s company and make each other laugh. We are incredibly grateful for all of the opportunities we have had and for the simple gift of being alive every day!
Notes on airfare:
The most convenient option is to fly to Tucson. There are more options and cheaper flights into Phoenix. This will require a 2-hour bus to Tucson or a flight from Phoenix to Tucson, so be sure to calculate that into your plans. Here are the cities that fly non-stop to Tucson. Southwest is a good option. Please do not book a flight until your registration with the trip is confirmed.
What questions do you have? Please email Elissa– [email protected]. Or call 802-275-2694.
Are you excited to join us this spring? Here are the next steps:
- Contact [email protected]
- If it feels like a good match for everyone you will pay the $400 deposit to hold your spot.
- You will book your travel.
- We’ll send you a packing list and waiver forms.
- Balance is due March 15th.
- We’ll have a Zoom meeting with the whole group in mid-March.
Articles and podcasts
“On the Border” 27Speaks Podcast: interview with Elissa and Andy
“Helping at the US/Mexico Border” East Hampton Star
“Noyac Couple Recounts Aid Trip to Arizona Border” Sag Harbor Express
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