ACTIVITIES
As part of a volunteer group that operates on the basis of consensus, each individual chooses to participate in one or more of the following activities according to his or her abilities and conscience.
- We make trips into remote desert areas to provide humanitarian aid such as water, food, and first aid items.
- We provide first aid as needed under the direction of medical professionals.
- We collaborate with and provide support to individuals and groups committed to humanitarian aid in our area.
- We educate ourselves and the broader community about the humanitarian crisis on our border.
- We believe in and encourage on-going dialogue with local landholders and government agencies to promote humanitarian responses on private and public lands.
- We acknowledge and commemorate individuals who have died crossing the desert in the Ajo region.
CURRENT PROJECTS
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Ajo Humanitarian Aid Office The Ajo Humanitarian Aid Office is an open, public, welcoming resource center that acquaints, reminds, and educates community members and passers-by of the never-ending need that desert travelers have for the care and life-giving aid that Ajo-ites have been known for providing for generations. The Aid office engages visitors in deeper awareness and contemplation of the plight of migrants and the various acts of kindness they might consider and provides for migrant care through resource materials, installations, and dialogue.
Desert Aid Desert Aid leaves water, food, first-aid supplies, blankets and socks in remote areas of the desert with the goal of reducing the number of people who die in the desert around Ajo. As migrants have been forced further and further into more remote areas of the desert the need for desert aid has become greater and the distances we must hike to provide aid have increased. Desert Aid volunteers also participate in Search and Rescue and Search and Recovery efforts for migrants who have been reported missing in the Ajo area.
Sonoyta Shelters Ajo Samaritans provide care and support to two migrant shelters in Sonoyta including the provision of clean, safe drinking water, weekly grocery shopping, medical clinic, harm reduction kits, shoes, clothing and personal hygiene items and construction projects.
Community Building Community building is at the heart of all that we do in Ajo, in the desert and across the border. We host public vigils in the Ajo plaza to remember the lives lost in the desert around our hometown. We participate in Sonoran Desert events such as the Sonoran Desert Shindig. We host meetings, film screenings and public gatherings to engage and educate our neighbors about our work.
Donations/Fundraising The need for food, clothes, shoes, medical supplies and funds is ongoing. We collect cash donations to fund our programs through our website and in-person asks. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic we are no longer able to collect food or used clothing including shoes.
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HOW CAN I VOLUNTEER?
We are always looking to engage new volunteers. To participate in any of our programs we ask that you:
For more information about specific tasks, time commitment and volunteer requirements please Click HERE
We are always looking to engage new volunteers. To participate in any of our programs we ask that you:
- Attend a Samaritans General Meeting
- Attend a Working Group meeting for the program/s you are interested in joining
- Attend a Samaritans training in Tucson
For more information about specific tasks, time commitment and volunteer requirements please Click HERE