Pan American Round Table was established to give aid, comfort and humanitarian relief for those fleeing Mexico because of the Mexican Revolution of 1914. It has become apparent to the Pan-American Round Table of Houston that it is time to go back to the original purpose of our organization by providing humanitarian aid to those who have been allowed to cross to the United States. The need was great then and the need is great now. Families fleeing persecution, violence and extreme unrest in their native countries, making life impossible for safety and any means of a normal life are seeking refugee assistance at the border of Texas.
Ruby Powers, Immigration Attorney, and a member of our club, donates her legal services frequently to assist immigrants at the border. She has personally spent money to buy necessities for women and children and has many stories of how as soon as they are allowed to stay and get picked up in a car by relatives, they may receive a ticket for not having a car seat for their children. Ruby is often on the radio or television providing updates and provided a program for our 3-club of Houston earlier this year. See below for the May 17th interview of Ruby discussing Immigration and the Texas Border on PBS's Red, White & Blue.
Belinda Kaylani, New Generations Director, met with Ruby recently and they have created a list of suggested items to help these immigrants. The vehicle for sending these items of the PART-H (Pan American Round Table – Houston chapter). Please consider a monetary donation or purchase of specific items to help this CALL TO ACTION.
Donations may be delivered to PART-H at the Leonel Castillo Community Center located as 2101 South St. in Houston (713-380-2255). Or you may simply order on Amazon (and if you have selected our Rotary e-club of Houston as part of the SMILE program we will even get a small portion back to support our club!). Donations are requested prior to May 23 in Houston as the PART-H will be driving supplies to Brownsville over Memorial Day weekend. If you drop off items in Houston, please mention that they are for PART- H so they are stored in the correct location for distribution.
Continue to the second page of this article for the specific list of items needed.
For Kids or Infants (items marked with an * are nonessential supplies, but still appreciated): For Adults:
- Pedialyte
- Tylenol (infants and children)
- Cough medicine (infants and children)
- Band-aids
- Neosporin
- Car seats (parent's are being fined for loading child into vehicles with no car/booster seats)
- Booster seats
- Formula (NIDO powder-this formula is only for children 1 year old or older)
- Diapers
- Baby Wipes
- *Coloring books
- *Crayons
- *toys (if you have any toys that normally come in happy meals those work!)
- Feminine products (pads and/or tampons)
- Ibuprofen or Tylenol
- Undergarments
- Sweat pants
- Under shirts
- shoes (new or lightly worn)
- socks (new)
- Deodorant
- toothbrush
- toothpaste
- shampoo
- soap
- *shave cream
- tri fold napkins (Costco on Bunker Hill has them)
- Reusable cups
- Trail Mix
- Crackers
- Calling cards
- Notepad & writing utensil