Ariana Saludares, Kim Taylor, Tyler Taylor and Morgan Schaller, Courtesy photo

More than 70 boxes of much needed supplies donated by generous Los Alamos County residents for legal asylum seekers in Deming. Courtesy photo 

Donated supplies from Los Alamos residents are loaded into this mimvan and a larger van for transport to Deming for legal asylum seekers. Courtesy photo 

By TYLER TAYLOR
Los Alamos

On Oct. 25, those in Deming who are assisting legal asylum seekers felt the generosity of Los Alamos County residents. That afternoon, two vans delivered about 70 boxes of much needed supplies to their center—run by Colores United, a group of determined and compassionate folks from the area.

The delivery guys were Kim Taylor, Morgan Schaller and me. Met by Ariana Saludares, the Executive Director of Colores United, we three toured the facility, met staff, savored the smiles on several guest’s faces, and watched children enjoy a playroom and a playground.

We learned that each guest had previously spent 3-7 days in a federal detention center, been designated a bona fide asylum seeker, and then released to the Deming program. Most people then stay in Deming 2-7 days before traveling to a sponsor’s home community—usually in a remote state. In some cases, no sponsor can be easily identified and the shelter staff place calls around the US to find a sponsoring entity, often a multi-week process. With about 200 guests arriving per week, it’s a massive and amazing undertaking for a sparse team in a town of about 14,000!

The “shelter” actually seems for now to be a highly structured program in which people are provided a room at a nearby Days Inn, but spend all day at the secure community center (a refurbished bike store). There they can safely rest, hydrate, eat community meals, and make their future plans. Even a small clinic – from a borrowed fifth wheel – is onsite for occasional smaller medical needs.

On our delivery day, about 50 new people had arrived, mostly from Ecuador and Nicaragua. But sometimes home countries are outside the Americas, and have included Russia, Turkey, Senegal, etc. How in the world do the staff communicate with everyone? Google Translate! Plus miming and hand signs as needed. Smiles, kindness, and persistence seem to somehow make it work.

While Ariana was thrilled at the hefty amount of clothes, food, shoes, and toiletries that had just arrived, it was her learning that over $6,000 in monetary donations were collected that brought tears to her eyes. She explained that her FEMA lifeline of monthly funds had run out for the year (as at other shelters), and our new money would enable her to pay her staff for another month. The furloughs she’d envisioned could be avoided—at least for a while.

Colores United is nailing down a plan to have small groups visit Deming for a week, stay in a comfy casita, volunteer and learn at the day-center, experience regional attractions, and “have fun”. A few folks are piloting this now; expansion may be coming soon.

We don’t know how many dozens of Los Alamos County people made this possible. Six congregations put the word out to their members, and word of mouth presumably helped from there. Next year this collection probably will be repeated, and hopefully on an even larger scale.

For those wanting to provide more help to this ever-changing and weary population, please contact Cathy Schaller at cathy.schaller@icloud.com to donate winter clothes, socks, etc. She will be able to arrange delivery of those items to Deming in coming weeks. Direct monetary donations can be made at coloresunited.org.

Many thanks to these congregations, which played major roles in our recent success:

• Unitarian Church of Los Alamos
• The United Church of Los Alamos
• The Church of Latter Day Saints, Los Alamos
• The Los Alamos Jewish Center
• White Rock Presbyterian Church
• Bethlehem Evangelical Lutheran Church

Well done, LA County!! So many of us remembered that “There but for fortune go you and I”.

Tyler Taylor learning how clothing is organized and distributed. Courtesy photo

Ariana Saludares, her daughter, Kim Taylor and Morgan Schaller in a relaxation space. Courtesy photo

The Deming common room and dining area with Kim Taylor at right. Courtesy photo

The pantry. Courtesy photo

The playroom. Courtesy photo

The playground within the enclosed compound. Courtesy photo

Toilets at the day-center. Guests’ hotel rooms have showers. Courtesy photo