SAN DIEGO (Border Report) — San Diego Rapid Response Network is asking for volunteers and additional staff to help process and service asylum-seekers coming into Southern California.
According to Jewish Family Service, since March 1, SDRRN Migrant Shelter Services has assisted more than 1,700 asylum-seekers, compared to the 490 migrants served in the entire month of February.
Services provided include COVID-19 testing, respite shelter, case management, financial and travel assistance, legal support and general medical assistance.
The State of California and the County of San Diego Public Health as well as UCSD Health System are also involved.
“We remain committed to welcoming asylum-seekers into the United States and helping them travel to their loved ones across the U.S., with public health as the top priority,” said Michael Hopkins, CEO of Jewish Family Service.
According to Hopkins, the center is helping more and more asylum-seekers every day.
“The last two weeks have been exceptionally challenging. In order to serve the hundreds of asylum-seekers in our care, more volunteers and staff are needed,” he said. “We continue to work with all levels of government and our partners to determine how we can all best meet needs. It is critical that the federal government continue to work to rebuild and reimagine our country’s broken asylum and immigration systems, including the processes for migrant shelter services across the border region.”
JFS is seeking help in many areas, including positions such as shelter services managers. They also need airport guides to help migrants get to their flights. Patient advocates and couriers are other areas of need.
People can go online at www.jfssd.org/careers or www.jfssd.org/helpnow.
According to JFS, some of the positions come with a salary.
People will be working with asylum-seekers being allowed into the U.S. under the Migrant Protocols Program. This has nothing to do with the migrant children expected to arrive in San Diego in a few days, minors who will be staying at the San Diego Convention Center.
