CCUSA president and CEO meets with migrant families and volunteers in Texas

Migrants and Refugees

June 18, 2019

Sister Donna Markham OP, PhD, President and CEO of Catholic Charities USA (CCUSA), traveled to Laredo, Texas, to share a message of compassion and hope with migrants and thank staff and volunteers who are serving at La Frontera shelter. She also presented a check for $200,000 to assist with increasing needs.

Over 200 individuals are arriving daily through the shelter and the situation remains challenging. In response to the overwhelming influx of migrants and the lack of adequate resources and staff, Sr. Donna issued a request across the CCUSA network for volunteers to deploy. The request has been answered with over 100 Catholic Charities staff and volunteers assisting at shelters in Laredo, San Bernardino, Calif., and Yuma and Tucson, Ariz., over the past few months.

“It is extremely painful to learn how much these people have suffered to get this far. We remain steadfast in providing assistance at the border, however this endeavor cannot be solely dependent upon the charities,” said Sr. Donna. “We need the financial support of our government to support the provision of food and clothing for these families and children.”

As it has done for over 100 years, CCUSA supports our agencies across the network and assists local agency efforts to provide compassionate and professional care to meet the immediate, intermediate and long-term needs. While respecting the laws to maintain our national security, we will continue to advocate for a humane response to those seeking safety within our borders.