In September 2020, after the retirement of Sisters Zita and Margaret, La Posada welcomed Sister Dympna Clarke. Sister Dympna is a member of the Sisters of the Holy Spirit and Mary Immaculate (SHSp), and is a long-term volunteer at La Posada. Sister Dympna and La Posada client mentor, Sister Thérèse Cunningham, are longtime friends, having …
A few weeks ago, on Tuesdays in Texas, we wrote about a beloved bench swing with hopes to replicate it. We asked, and a group of volunteers appeared! In mid-June, The Evangelical Covenant Church-Life Student Ministry arrived at La Posada with humble hearts ready to serve. The group of 20 included volunteers from both Kansas …
Over the weekend, two 18-year-old, long-term guests of La Posada enjoyed a day at South Padre Island- SPI, a vacation area not far from La Posada. La Posada volunteer, Jose Arizmendi, and his two sons planned for a fishing trip at The Jetties, in SPI. The day started early, with Jose picking the clients up …
Recently, we welcomed Faith Pienta, a 2021 homeschooled, high school graduate. Faith is volunteering at La Posada for twelve weeks and hopes to donate her time to various non-profit organizations for one year. La Posada is her first destination, and her arrival represented perfect synchrony of events as La Posada was arranging coverage for the …
This past week at La Posada, long-term clients went on a relaxing field trip, and enjoyed a day at South Padre Island (SPI). Long-term clients are guests that stay at La Posada more than 8 days until a sponsor is identified or the client has no sponsor and has committed to pursue their asylum case …
La Posada is a ministry for people in crisis from around the world. We welcome the stranger, and in doing so, we embrace a variety of cultures and customs. Material possessions can represent facets of identity or be symbolic of culture and traditions. Many of our guests who have experienced difficult migrations can suffer the …
This past week at La Posada, we received a generous donation from the Mennonite Central Committee. Immigration Education Coordinator, Ana Hinojosa, arrived on Thursday morning with a special delivery. The donation consisted of 34 backpacks thoughtfully packaged. Each backpack valued at $65 contained personal hygiene items, undergarments, a hoodie, sweatpants, a bath towel, and a …
This week La Posada staff participated in Trauma Informed Care training to fortify support services to all our guests. The training was led by human rights advocate Dr. Selma Yznaga, associate professor of counseling at The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley. The training centered on the 4 R’s of trauma-informed care – realize, recognize, …
One of La Posada’s favorite spaces for relaxation is the wooden bench swing. It is well situated in front of Casa Carolina, the women’s residence, under a large tree providing an abundance of shade all day. Those sitting on the bench swing find it relaxing and enjoy a perfect view of the shelter grounds. The …
This past week at La Posada, we welcomed Casa de Paz SLV, a non-profit organization based out of Crestone, Colorado, dedicated to providing holistic trauma support for asylum seekers and migrants. They also have a local team in the Rio Grande Valley (RGV) that coordinates programs via their RGV Board co-chair, a University of Texas …
