They planned their escape from Cuba for seven days prior to their departure. They packed a few rations to eat on a small boat for the journey: water bottles, crackers, sugar, condensed milk (that they could dilute in water), and bread. Enough food, they thought, to sustain them for six to eight days. They also …
(San Benito, Texas) Less than a year after La Posada Providencia announced its milestone of reaching 7,000 clients, the shelter has now welcomed its 8,000th client amidst an unprecedented influx of immigrants arriving in the lower Rio Grande Valley. This surge has more than quadrupled the shelter’s annual client intake. “What a privilege it has …
Almost 20 years had passed since Luis Santillana and his wife, Zoila, first set foot at La Posada Providencia. A lot has changed since that day in 1996, both for the former clients and for the shelter, but it all has been for the better. “This is the second time we’ve visited La Posada since …
For nine months, Esperanza carried little Ana near her heart in her womb; born with a birth defect and unable to walk by herself, Esperanza still carried her nine year-old daughter—near her heart—in her arms. Esperanza’s husband—the father of her children—died soon after Ana was born. The family had no money for medical treatment or …
Last Sunday about 1:00 p.m., a Border Patrol agent called asking if we could accommodate a woman who was recently released from the hospital. He said she had fallen at the border and shattered her ankle. After an operation, she was fitted with a cast and crutches. Two hours later, Sister Zita met Janis and …
Born in Ghana, West Africa, Masa was persecuted for his political beliefs. After three of his friends were violently murdered for having the same beliefs, Masa went into hiding for two years. Eventually, his family and others from his village were able to raise enough money for Masa to travel to Mexico. Once he reached …
At the Hands & Hearts fundraiser on January 26, 2013, client Marvin shared, in his own words, his harrowing journey to the United States and the compassion and support he found at La Posada. When I was 15-years-old, I decided to travel to the United States to look for a better life. In my country, …
I left Guatemala with my husband and young daughter because we did not have enough money to buy food. We had borrowed money because my husband became so ill that he needed an operation. It was very expensive. After the operation, my husband was too sick to work. By the time he had recovered, we …
Born in Honduras, 19-year-old Levi is a middle child in a family of 10. Because his parents were separated, Levi lived with his older brother, Ernesto, who was in the armed forces. When his brother’s service ended, local gangs tried to recruit him. Ernesto was warned to join a gang or he would be killed. …
A recent client of La Posada recounts his terrifying journey to the United States. Leaving Cuba Since the age of 14, I was continually harassed by the Cuban police for crimes I did not commit. There were only three small apartments in the area where I lived with my mother and younger brother. The neighbors …
