Voices from the Border

Voices From The Border is a 501(c) 3 non-profit organization based in Patagonia, Arizona, that formed following the Women’s March of January 2017. Inspired by the values of justice, compassion, and human dignity, Voices from the Border serves migrants and refugees in Nogales, Sonora, Mexico, through housing support, medical care, and direct humanitarian aid.

In addition, we are committed to disseminating accurate information to the larger US community about the lived experience of migration. We therefore support and promote speakers, authors, art, and theater as a means to educate and create a more holistic understanding of life at the US/Mexico border.

Voices From The Border fulfills our mission, first, by financially and materially supporting the work of Nurse/Medical Assistant Francisco (“Pancho”) Olachea Martin, who provides the only free medical care and ambulance transportation that this population receives. Second, we lend support to those asylum seekers and refugees with whom we have worked, who have since crossed into the United States, and who are awaiting their hearings. Third, we sponsor artistic events, online discussions, authors, theater, and social media platforms to raise awareness about migrants and migration issues at the southern Arizona border, and the impact of immigration policies on their lived experiences.

Asylum seekers contact Pancho 7 days a week with concerns like illnesses and injuries, pre-natal needs, housing problems, food shortages, and more. Pancho communicates with a local volunteer who then helps to ensure that the needs are met, whether financially or medically or both. Currently, Pancho and VFTB volunteers visit migrants in Nogales several days per month for the distribution of goods and in-person medical consultations and care.

While asylum seekers have had to remain in Mexico for extended periods of time (Because of Migrant Protection Protocols and Title 42) the VFTB response to their needs has shifted as well. We now rent and furnish several apartments for migrants, pay rent for other apartments and rooms as needed and help financially support a newly established shelter. We also support migrant Bordadoras —Mexican and Central American embroiderers - by purchasing their mantas - traditional embroidered cloth - and offering them for sale at farmer's markets in our local communities in the US. 

Meanwhile, for those asylum seekers who were allowed to enter the US, VFTB has helped find sponsors, legal assistance, and other provisions necessary for survival. Asylum seekers are legally prohibited from working for 365 days after they file for asylum, so the waiting period can be taxing, both financially and emotionally. Much is needed. 

Our equation is simple: the more we raise, the more we can help.