It has been just a couple of days since the UIndy Beyond Borders team has returned from our most recent volunteer trip in South Texas. Just a couple of days, yet I have already had several conversations with friends in Indiana concerning the work that we did and explaining the true nature of the humanitarian crisis occurring at the border. And I know there will be more to come.
Though we have returned from Texas, I know that the work is not done. Every day I find myself thinking of those who are likely attempting to cross the harsh Texas desert at this very moment, and hope that the water stations that the Beyond Borders team helped set up will be enough to get them safely to their destinations. These conversations I have with friends and family back in the midwest are just one way that our work continues at home; by talking about our experiences, we are able to help spread awareness of the reality of the humanitarian crisis that is occurring at the border. Living so far removed as we are, it is difficult to fully understand what is occurring there; having now experienced just a small portion of what migrants are going through as they attempt to cross the border better equips me to be able to educate those around me back home. One of our goals has always been to spread awareness of the border crisis and to dispel any of the common misconceptions that are so easily spread by news and media. As I sit comfortably at home, I hope to continue to have these conversations with those around me to help increase awareness and educate as many people as I can.
I will also continue to think about those who aren’t able to do so – those who are still walking through the sand and brush and heat to make a better life for themselves. I can only hope that our work this past week, and our continuing work in the future, will help alleviate the crisis in some small way.