Reaching Across Borders

Mission work in mcallen. Supplies for respite centers. Refugee Assistance

Our stories of community outreach and assistance reach beyond the church and beyond our city limits. Breaking down barriers and reaching across borders can mean helping refugees and asylum seekers find hospitality here in Austin, or it can bring us to our state or national boundaries to comfort those who are crossing our borders find a shower, clean clothes, and eventually, home.

small acts

Soft, cuddly toys donated by church members young and old became a herd of hugs headed to border respite centers in McAllen, Texas.

Small acts

Volunteers set up traditional Ethiopian and Mexican comfort food, serve, smile, and clean up at the monthly Convivio at Casa Marianella.

big impact

A road-weary parent at the border in McAllen, Texas is able to comfort a tired child and share a smile at the end of a long journey.

Evelyn Teresa Becerra Ramos, 21, holds her 2-year-old daughter, Jennifer, on the bridge between Matamoros, Mexico, and Brownsville, Texas. She left Guatemala to seek asylum in the U.S. Photo credit: Reynaldo Leal for The Texas Tribune

big impact

Amidst the struggle of finding a new life in Texas, Convivio celebrations at Casa Marianella serve as a moment to welcome asylum seekers and “to pause, give thanks for life, food, music, and a supportive community to pass the tempests of the times.”