Voices from the Border

Led by the values of justice, compassion, and human dignity, Voices from the Border, a 501 (c) (3) organization, responds to the needs of migrating people by providing housing, medical care, and humanitarian aid in Nogales, Sonora, Mexico.   

We rent and maintain a block of apartments that serve as a shelter where we house up to 30 women and their children. We also help to support other migrating families in a nearby shelter that on any given day accommodates up to 65 people.

Our volunteer team in Nogales is led by Francisco (Pancho) Olachea Martin, a nurse/EMT who has been serving the migrant population in Nogales since 2009. Our team members on the ground in Nogales do daily check-ins with our guests and help in whatever way is needed.

Our goal is to provide safe, comfortable and welcoming shelter, food, and other daily necessities, as well as take care of their medical needs while they wait their turn to request asylum in the US. 

Meanwhile, for those asylum seekers who are allowed to enter the US, Voices helps to find sponsors, if necessary, find legal assistance, and other provisions necessary for survival. Asylum seekers are not allowed to apply for a work permit for 150 after their asylum application is filed. This waiting period is difficult, both financially and emotionally. Much is needed. 

Additionally, we seek to transform the narrative about migration, building awareness and empathy about the lived experience of migration by sharing up-to-date information, credible journalism and engaging and promoting creative activism on the US side of the border.

Every donation is appreciated and every dollar is put to the best possible use for those most in need.