The Episcopal Diocese of San Diego is gathering volunteers to assist migrants.
The diocese provided this statement to a local CBS new affiliate:
The Episcopal Diocese of San Diego has been asked to coordinate religious and spiritual care services for the unaccompanied migrant children arriving at the San Diego Convention Center this week. Jesus commanded us to love our neighbors as ourselves, and these are God’s beloved children who will be our neighbors for a short time. Caring for them answers God’s commandment to love others. We are glad to add their spiritual care to the many other ways our churches help those in need in the greater San Diego area. The Episcopal Diocese of San Diego, led by its Bishop, The Rt. Rev. Susan Brown Snook, is working with our partners in other denominations and other faiths to organize volunteers who would bring comfort, worship, and prayers to these children. Volunteers would need to speak Spanish, be fully vaccinated against COVID, and have a background check. We are thankful for the support of the Pacifica Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, as well as the Roman Catholic Diocese of San Diego, and many other faith leaders in our city, who stand ready to help the children with spiritual care. Working with the contractor providing programming for the children in the convention center, we hope to have an organizational structure in place soon.
The diocese has checked in hundreds of volunteers.