A Beloved’s reflection

EDITOR’S NOTE: Beloved in the Desert is a ministry that invites young adults between ages 21-29 to to volunteer in the nationwide network known as the Episcopal Service Corps. The members intern with local non-profits to end homelessness, hunger, and poverty in Tucson, live together in intentional community, and follow daily offices of prayer.

Jeremy Wickboldt is one of this year’s corps members. What follows is a reflection on his internship with The Inn.

With roughly two million immigrants coming across the U.S.-Mexico borders annually, one would think that there is a structured and secured system to help immigrants post crossing. Unfortunately, that is not the case, meaning organizations like the Inn of Southern Arizona have to exist. They have to pick up the slack where the government fails to do so.

The Inn is an organization, a waypoint of sorts, for asylum seeking immigrants. It gives them a few days rest as they figure out their next steps, and arrange travel to their final destination. During that time they are able to clean themselves up, get some well deserved rest, and get supplied with other necessities or creature comforts they may need. For what these immigrants have gone through, providing even the most basic thing can mean the world to them. 

I acknowledge the need for places like the Inn, but in the grand scheme of things, it's often hard to feel that the work I am doing has any impact.

With fewer than one in five people granted asylum (and that is if they can make it past border patrol and ICE), this organization’s existence can feel like only a band-aid fix in a system that is falling short of serving basic human rights. This idea can get in my head and make it hard to do even the simplest tasks that come along with the job.

Even with immigration being such a massive crisis, with incredible amounts of social and political pressure surrounding the issue, what I do appears to be nothing more than a nine to five job.

I follow a routine to help keep the Inn running smoothly. My tasks involve passing out meals, making sure they have clean clothes, and writing itineraries. None of this feels particularly exciting to me—at the same time I can only imagine what a difference it makes to the guests.

The “fun” of the job comes from trying to problem-solve in a language of which I barely have a grasp. Even with some basic knowledge of Spanish (that being the primary language that the immigrants speak), there have been some very funny moments. For example, I asked a woman her age instead of what size shirt she needed.

As always, though, this is an ongoing issue that can use an individual’s help. To make a monetary donation please click here. Clothing donations are also appreciated, especially with the coming cooler months. To make those donations, they can be dropped off from 10:00am-2:00pm, Monday-Thursday at First United Methodist Church on Speedway Boulevard. You may also give via the Inn’s Amazon wish list, which can be found here. All items bought there will be sent directly to the Inn. Thank you!