First coupla days

 So the days are unpredictable. Things can be slow, in which case we do cleaning and sorting and getting ready for the faster times. And suddenly, things can be fast. There is often no warning or even if there is warning-the time frame is off.

I feel good about the slow start we had because I'm still feeling lost and trying to figure things out, though that does mean that people weren't being processed at the border.  

Day 1 started kind of hecticly. With my limited Spanish (which I imagine will get better as time goes on), we got a couple of families on the shuttle to the airport. They will be received by friends and/or family and in the future have a meeting with ICE more local to where they are to decide their cases.  It felt hectic as I don't have much Spanish and the people didn't know what time to be ready (which just added to my anxiety) but it all worked.  Most of the rest of the day was cleaning, sorting, getting ready for possible arrivals.

The next day started slowly as we didn't have any departures or known arrivals. The laundry room was almost caught up (blankets, cot covers, towels and clothing can get piled high!). And then we had a busload of arrivals from ICE. We intake them, making sure we have info on who is here and where they are wanting to go. We give them rapid COVID tests. If they come up positive, they are sent to a hotel where they are quarantined for 5 days before they are able to move on (given food and clothing and a hygiene kit). If negative, we continue with our services: food, clothing, phone calls to family to set up getting tickets, showers, etc.  It is a hectic feeling because everyone is happy to be out and wanting to get on to their destinations but we are only so many volunteers and can only do so much at once.  

It is so lovely to be able to be the help that is needed in the moment. One of the long term volunteers said during orientation, "It is great to figure out the source of the problem, but right here, right now, I'm here to be the best bandaid that I can be." And so, no matter how small the part, to help as we can is what we need to do.

Each afternoon after my shift, I've gone on a walk to be outside and found this mural near a park with golden grasses (hard to find green in the desert!)