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 Note: asylum seekers and other migrants encountered at the shelters are referred to by an initial or nickname to protect their privacy.

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For September:

Approximately 590 meals provided

2 ongoing medical issues addressed

9 dogs at CDM fed; 4 dogs spayed

New toilet tank installed

Celebratory meal provided for Mexican Independence Day

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11/4/25

SSF Shelter Report 

Susanna Dewey and I had a busy day today in Sonoyta, Sonora, Mexico. We brought a cooler full of bottled water and ice and some breakfast treats to Casa Del Migrante, as well as a spiffy new Ajo baseball cap for the manager. Traffic heading into Sonoyta was very light, and, after a glance in our cooler, the Mexican official waved us through. 

At Casa Del Migrante, of course the dogs were the first to greet us, followed by Gallo and the cook. Gallo is no longer working at the ranch outside town. His employer neglected to tell him that the meals and incidentals at the ranch were extra, and after he deducted food, etc from his check, Gallo ended up basically working for free. He was cheerful as always, however, and carried the heavy ice chest to the office by himself. 

The manager was tickled with his new hat and tried it on immediately. He is still waiting for advice from the Salvadoran consulate in Tijuana about how to travel there safely. He is frustrated, but at least he’s no longer suffering from headaches and jaw pain while he waits. 

The cook had his shopping list ready, but first we had to get the propane tank refilled. We brought it back to CDM, then stopped at the cable company before it closed for lunch and got the cable bill paid.  The manager had told us before we headed out that he’d heard about a garden center in Sonoyta that might have some soil for Juanita’s surprise flower garden, so we went in search of it. All we knew was that it was near the border. When we got close to the line without coming across it, the cook had us pull over at one of the open air shops beside the road. The shop owner gave him some directions (I heard the words ‘left’ and ‘nine’), and off we went again. We couldn’t see any street signs along the main road, so we took one left, then another, drove some more, and stopped at another shop. We were close! It was on Calle D, also known as Calle Nueve (of course). 

And what an enchanting little place it was, with roses of every color, lots of bold marigolds for Dia de los Muertos, geraniums, hibiscus, chrysanthemums…. The cook saw several bougainvilleas and said, “This would be beautiful along the front fence”. I showed him the red geraniums Juanita loves. We made a deal with the owner to have soil delivered tomorrow. Next week the cook will get some flowers for planting. He was very excited. 

At lunch, we talked about the upcoming Christmas holidays. The cook advised that we bring a tape measure and foot measuring device (we have one from the old days when we were fitting lots of asylum seekers for shoes) as the CDM guests tend to guess their clothing and shoe sizes. After a run to the pharmacy for CDM medications, we grocery shopped at Bodega Aurrera. The cook was able to find everything on his list except oranges (they were green), but the pineapples looked good, so he got a couple for the vitamin C. 

Back at CDM, the guests (5 today) unloaded the food. The dogs and I helped put everything away while Susanna chatted with some of the guests. M is doing well. W was sitting outside but at an angle where he could see the football game on the tv in dorm 1. He said he was ok. The other guests were watching the game except Gallo, who was relaxing in one of the hammocks. He got up to walk us to the car and to get a last hug before we headed home. 

Hug someone yourself, think about donating some food to your local food bank, and 

Don’t let the bastards grind you down. Good news tonight coming out of New York, Virginia, California, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey!

    ⁃    Carol

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10/28/25

SSF Shelter Report 

Donations from Muffet Rowe of Ajo, a mysterious porch fairy, and an anonymous giver were loaded into the car this morning, and Susanna Dewey and I rode down to Sonoyta, Sonora, Mexico. 

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We had an easy crossing and made our first stop at Joaquin’s to give him some children’s clothes for kids in the neighborhood. He has a couch outside his house under a shade tree where we sat and visited with Joaquin, his 2 dogs (Emilio and Concha), and an 8 year old neighbor who had overslept and skipped school. The little guy told us he has friends at school, but cringed when we asked about girlfriends!

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At Casa Del Migrante, there are currently six guests. Two left last week to work in Caborca, but two new people arrived. Gallo has a new job at a ranch working with cattle, but it’s only four hours a day, and he’s able to ride a bicycle to and from his job, so most evenings he will be back at CDM to sleep. He is a real vaquero!

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The manager finally is beginning to feel better and he’s pain free for the first time in a long time. Now he can focus on finding a way to get to Tijuana to the Salvadoran consulate. He’s going to call the consulate tomorrow and see if they can help him get the documents he needs to come to Tijuana, since officials at the border told him the only way he’s going to get travel documents is to marry a Mexican citizen. There has to be another way.

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The cook gathered his reusable shopping bags and grocery list, and, after lunch and a quick pharmacy stop, we shopped at Supermercado Fer Vaz for trash bags and then at Bodega Aurrera grocery store for the rest of the items on his list. What does a shopping list look like for CDM? Squash, cabbage, carrots, potatoes, bananas, oranges, apples, watermelon, tomatoes, limes, eggs, cilantro, rice, beans, sugar, coffee, hot dogs, chicken or beef, bread, tortillas, packets of soup mix, laundry soap, cooking oil, Pinesol, toilet paper, and dog food are always staples. 

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There were no oranges, no cilantro, and no eggs, however, so we made a trip to Super Ley grocery store, where thankfully he found all the items, because we’d already been to the three biggest grocery stores in town. When we got back to CDM and opened the car door so the guests could help ferry the food to the office to put away, the new guy just stood for a moment, blinking at all the food. Then he softly said, “Wow”, and began to help unload. Your support made that moment possible. 

Hug someone and don’t let the bastards grind you down. 

-Carol

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Checks can be made out to 

Samaritanos Sin Fronteras 

c/o Doug Schnare, treasurer 

121 Rocalla Ave

Ajo, AZ 85321

Or we can accept Zelle (National Bank of Arizona) or PayPal on our website www.samsinfront.com) 

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Samaritanos Sin Fronteras Amazon wishlist:

https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/6SDJCN1N0XMX?ref_=wl_share

or if you’re in Ajo and have donations, contact one of the members of SSF who will be glad to deliver them. We all make a difference.

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