SAN ANTONIO — Community members have showered Catholic Charities San Antonio with donations for more than 1,000 Central American migrant children being housed in the Freeman Coliseum.
Since the children arrived to the city last week, the Catholic Charities lobby has been filled with boxes, including things like hygiene products, toothbrushes, and toys.
“We’ve been blessed with so many donations for the kiddos,” said Antonio Fernandez with Catholic Charities San Antonio.
Catholic Charities also recruited 900 volunteers to work with the kids directly.
“They can help them just to ensure, if they need to go to the bathroom, if they need more clothes, whatever they need the volunteers and case manager, they can take care of,” said Fernandez.
He volunteers also to help with tasks, such as processing paperwork and travel logistics to ultimately connect with the child’s U.S. sponsor.
"If the kid is coming from Guatemala, the people are checking with Guatemalan consulate just to be sure that this person is the right person. Just to be sure that these kids don’t go to a bad person,” said Fernandez.
Until the children are moved out of the Freeman Coliseum, they’ll rely on the goodness of strangers and donations.