activities · 10
what they do
direct service · 8
- Facilitating "Welcome Quilts" project Community-Based Craft Production for CharityFacilitates the creation of Welcome Quilts, a national project where fabric squares with images of welcome and inclusivity are sewn into quilts by volunteer quilters and displayed in public spaces to support immigrants.
- Facilitating legal and educational support for migrantsConnects non-Mexican nationals with legal services to pursue refugee status in Mexico, offers resources and guidance to adults regarding trade schools and other educational opportunities, and helps with transportation costs for individuals returning home or relocating within Mexico.
- Providing housing and basic necessities to migrantsProvides safe housing in apartments in Nogales, Sonora, prioritizing families, and helps cover rent and utility costs. Also provides food, clothing, and daily necessities to migrating families, refugees, and those recently deported from the US.
- Providing medical and dental care to migrants Low-Cost Medical Access in MexicoCoordinates and provides free medical care, including emergency medical and dental care, doctor visits, medications, lab work, diagnostic testing, and procedures for migrants in Nogales, Sonora, Mexico. Also provides medical equipment and transportation to medical appointments.
- Providing social and emotional support to migrants Community Art Classes and WorkshopsProvides ESL classes, arts & crafts, fellowship, and emotional support through volunteers visiting apartments.
- Running "The Empathy Project" for youth education Youth Empathy & Social-Emotional Learning ProgramsLaunched and implemented "The Empathy Project" pilot program, which included public screenings of movies, reading books, and field trips for students to foster empathy and understanding.
- Supporting migrant women through cultural craft Reentry Job Training for WomenSupports women skilled in embroidery (bordado) to create mantas, which are offered for donation to fund the bordadora project.
- Supporting recently deported individualsProvides notes of hope and small cash assistance to recently deported individuals for bus travel, meets with them, and helps them navigate Mexican bureaucracies to obtain IDs and access healthcare and school systems.
advocacy · 2
- Advocating against immigration policiesParticipated in public protests against DHS Secretary Kristi Noem's visit to Nogales.
- Promoting understanding of migration through arts and eventsShares stories of migrant families, provides accurate information and credible journalism, and uses the arts as a catalyst for creative activism to build awareness and understanding about immigration. Organizes and sponsors events, including artistic events, to foster understanding of migration experiences and the effects of immigration policies.
strategies · 8
how they think
Theories of action extracted from this org's own source material. Click any to see the full field of orgs running the same approach.
- Advocacy rooted in lived experience lived-experience advocacyPublic messaging and advocacy efforts are directly informed by the lived experiences of people affected by border policies, ensuring authenticity and impact in narrative change work.
- Community-centered, sustained presence for responsive direct aid responsive direct aidBy maintaining a consistent, low-profile, daily presence on the border, the organization identifies and responds to urgent needs in real time, ensuring aid is both immediate and rooted in community context.
- Community-led support model empowering local teams community-led supportLocal individuals and teams are supported to deliver direct services such as medical care, emotional support, and transportation, ensuring that aid is culturally appropriate and community-driven.
- Cultural entrepreneurship for migrant economic self-sufficiency community_support_for_migrant_resilienceSupports migrants in building new lives by enabling economic self-sufficiency through culturally rooted entrepreneurial opportunities.
- Dignity-centered approach grounded in inherent human worth dignity-centeredThe organization operates on the belief that dignity is an inherent, unearned human quality, and this principle shapes all mission activities by affirming the worth of every individual, particularly migrants and deported persons.
- Empathy-building through long-term social-emotional learning in education social-emotional learningBy integrating the "White Bird" book series and film screenings into middle school curricula across multiple grade levels, the organization fosters sustained empathy, kindness, and emotional awareness in youth.
- Immediate post-deportation reintegration support immediate post-deportation supportProvides emotional and small financial assistance to recently deported individuals to address urgent needs and support immediate reintegration into their communities.
- Narrative transformation through storytelling and arts-based activism narrative transformation through storytelling and arts activismThe organization uses personal stories, credible journalism, and creative expression—including art and film—to shift public perception of migration from exclusion to inclusion and to build empathy in U.S. communities.
named programs · 8
what they call their work
Creative Activism - Artistic Events
Organizes events using the arts to create a more holistic and empathic understanding of migration and the effects of immigration policies.
Creative Activism - Awareness
Strives to change the narrative about migration by building awareness and deepening understanding through shared stories, accurate information, and credible journalism.
Creative Activism - Online Platforms
Uses social media (Facebook, Instagram) and monthly newsletters to reach a wider US audience and create a more compassionate and informed society.
Direct Migrant Services - Housing
Provides safe, comfortable apartment housing in Nogales, Sonora, prioritizing families. Also helps deportees with rent and utilities.
Direct Migrant Services - Medical
Coordinates and provides emergency and routine medical and dental care, medications, lab work, diagnostic testing, medical equipment, and transportation to appointments for migrants.
Direct Migrant Services - Support
Provides food, clothing, daily necessities, assistance with Mexican bureaucracies for IDs and access to healthcare/schools, resources for trade schools, legal services for refugee status, and transportation costs for relocation or return home.
The Empathy Project
A collaborative project with Patagonia Creative Arts Association and Patagonia Youth Enrichment Center, focusing on fostering empathy and kindness through film screenings, book discussions, and community activities, including a middle school curriculum and public events.
Welcome Quilts
A national project where fabric squares with images of welcome and inclusivity are sewn into quilts by volunteer quilters and displayed in public spaces to support immigrants.
relationships · 9
who they work with
- Kino Border Initiative Partner — Operates across the street from the Mariposa port of entry where individuals supported by Voices from the Border sell food.
- Kino Initiative Partner — Collaborates with VOICES FROM THE BORDER to support migrants, including providing lodging and facilitating access to services.
- Mexican government Government — Provides shelter and bus transportation for recently deported individuals in Nogales, Sonora.
- Patagonia Creative Arts Association/Tin Shed Theater Partner — Collaborated on "The Empathy Project" and planned the Luis Urrea/Gary Nabhan Peek Behind the Curtain event.
- Patagonia Creative Arts Association/Tin Shed Theater Partner — Collaborated on the "Peek Behind the Curtain" event and co-developed "The Empathy Project."
- Patagonia Youth Enrichment Center (PYEC) Partner — Partnered on "The Empathy Project" and provided refreshments and wooden hearts for the "White Bird" event.
- Red Cross Partner — Works with VOICES FROM THE BORDER to help migrants obtain permits for legal street vending.
- Santa Cruz County Sheriff's Office Partner — Aligned with Sheriff David Hathaway in opposing DHS Secretary Noem's narrative about border crime and enforcement.
- Tucson Jewish Museum and Holocaust Center Partner — Middle school students visited the museum as part of "The Empathy Project" curriculum.