It's been said, “The only way around it is through it”…

Several of our co-founders leading the Keep Families Together March in Nogales, AZ, in 2018

Like you, we are horrified by the election results. We are, in turns, numb, outraged, grief-stricken, and terrified. What we know is true is that we must give ourselves the grace and the space to go through the messy range of emotions that this moment requires. We must tend our wounds, however that looks for each of us. As there is no precedent or guidebook for what we are currently experiencing, we can only allow it to be deeply personal and wholly real.

We invite you to make a cup of tea and sit by the fire with us in this time of Great Unknowing. And if you will indulge us for a little storytelling and Real Talk….

Many of our readers may not be aware of our birth story. Voices began as a direct result of Donald Trump being elected in 2016. The idea for a grassroots community response in Patagonia, AZ was seeded three nights after the election, following a mystical experience that happened to one of our co-founders while stargazing in a Tucson Home Depot parking lot. The gauntlet laid, she gathered some of her women friends and asked: "What can WE do to meet this moment?" The answer to that question gave birth to a little nonprofit that we named Voices from the Border. And if we’re really honest, friends, it saved us. Because it kept us sane and from feeling powerless in the first Great Unknowing of 2016. It was a channel for our rage and frustration and an outlet for our immense love and impossible hope in a time of fear and confusion.

In the years that followed, Trump and COVID-era policies created the need to adapt, and adapt we did. The advantage of being a small organization is agility and deftness. We were nimble, and we were determined. We changed our working model to renting apartments for vulnerable women and children stuck at the border under the Remain in Mexico and Title 42 edicts. In addition to the medical care that was already our hallmark due to our partnership with Pancho Olachea Martin, we added safe housing, food, and other basic living needs, ESL classes, and arts and activities for children. That model continues to this day because of the amazing generosity of our supporters, volunteers, and donors. You are the Voices’ family.

And as of November 5th, we--humanity--find ourselves in the collective free fall of the second Great Unknowing of 2024.

Sikh activist and author, Valerie Kaur asks, “What if this is the womb and not the tomb?” Humanity is in the birth canal having active contractions right now. It is dark, scary, and hurts like hell. In her wonderful book, See No Stranger, Kaur mentors: “Breathe and Push.” In any hard labor, we mustn't forget the need to breathe because it sustains the ability to push. Right now, we are taking collective breaths. Tending our wounds. Turning inward. Giving ourselves permission to wail and fall apart; summoning the courage, commitment, and strength, to continue the push of our sacred labor.

What we also know is true is that collectively we are in the throes of something seismic. And the end of the story has not been written. The power of the almost 70 million people who did not vote for Donald Trump has yet to be harnessed. The force of our holy fury, belief in the democratic ideal, and Great Love for all life, no exceptions, has yet to be realized. But realized it will be, make no mistake.

This is our clarion call and our commitment. Voices 2.0 will meet this moment because we have before. And if the past is prologue, we will endure. Together—with you, dear reader—we will keep the flame. We will keep the vigil for each other and our most vulnerable brothers and sisters in their time of need.

Breathe. And push...

An Expensive Van Repair

Last week our Voices van, which we use for EVERYTHING, wouldn't start. After giving a couple local mechanics a try, to save money and give the business to individuals, sadly and with no results, we had to have it towed to the Ford Dealership. The repairs included a fuel pump and some major wiring replacement. The good news is that it's fixed! The bad news is the bill is just over 22,000 pesos. In US dollars, that's about $1200.

We've had this van since November of 2019, and we've been fortunate up to this point with only having to do general maintenance and minor repairs.

We could really use your help to pay for this unexpected expense. As always, we are grateful for any amount.