Among the many worthy organizations you could associate with or give your time and resources to, we are grateful to have you with Fellowship Southwest. If you are looking into how you or your church can be more involved with us, here are a few suggestions to consider.

Fellowship Southwest is most known for a network of border ministries and immigration advocacy, so most of the opportunities you’ll read about have to do with this. 

1. Border Trips. You are invited to visit the U.S.-Mexico border in a few different ways. We can consult with you to decide on the best format for your trip. From one day experiences to week-long pilgrimages, we can accommodate what you are looking for. Every type of border trip will be preceded by a preparation meeting with FSW staff and followed by an advocacy action. If you would like to explore a possible border trip, please contact Anyra Cano: anyra@fellowshipsouthwest.org.

• Vision Trip - a one or two day experience shadowing a border pastor in one location. A vision trip will immerse you in the context of a particular border ministry, the issues that migrants and ministry partners face, and the specific needs. Ideal for a small group of 2-3.

• Ministry Trip - this is a more traditional mission trip type of experience, but a little broader. Suitable for a small group of any ages, you can come to one or two locations along the border and assist with welcoming immigrants, feeding ministries, clothes closet sorting, linen washing, and any number of responsibilities that border church volunteers might do in the course of a few days. 

• Construction Trip - many of our border ministries have shelters or churches that need renovations and repairs. This type of trip is best for older youth and adults and would be at a single location for up to a week. 

• Advocacy Trip - Similar to the vision trip, you will also have the opportunity to attend a court hearing for immigrants to observe how U.S. immigrantion laws and policies are practiced. You will also meet with a local immigration advocate (Elket) who is immersed and engaged in immigration advocacy and learn historical and current issues affecting immigrants today. Our hope is that you will feel equipped with tools to advocate on behalf of immigrants seeking refuge. 

2. Collect items for ministry partners and deliver them. (You can also raise money for these needs and our ministry partners can find prices that can help stretch those funds). 

• Bibles in Spanish (We can help you find the right ones.)

• Winter clothing: coats/jackets, sweaters, warm socks. (All new please, nothing used.)

• Bedding: new winter blankets, sheets, pillows.

• Adult size t-shirts small, medium and large (no bigger, medium most needed).

• Twin size mattresses and protective sheets/mattress pads.

• Towels.

• Hygiene products (non-travel size).

• Spanish children’s books.
  
  

3. Stay engaged.

• Weekly newsletter: subscribe here if you don’t yet receive it, or send this link to a friend who you think would be interested.

• Website/Blog: use our website as a resource. You can find lots of helpful articles on immigration policy and each border site, as well as all the contact information for the staff.

• Social Media: tell your friends to follow us on Instagram and Facebook, and engage with our posts. It helps make our content visible to others.

• Events: next year we will have our first gathering. Be on the lookout for more details. We would love to see you in person.

• Share about our work on social media: if you engage with us through mission, ministry or advocacy, please share about it on your personal social media so others can find out about it too.

• Invite us to your church to share about our work. 

4. Advocate. As an organization driven by compassion and justice, we hope that you come into proximity with our four priorities: hunger, immigration, racial justice, and indigenous ministries. But we also want you to be motivated to use your voice to your legislative representatives, churches, community leaders, and corporations who can help make policy and cultural changes, or can help shape fair policies and create access to equitable resources. 

• We are fortunate to have advocacy experts on the Fellowship Southwest staff who have plenty of experience and resources in faith-based advocacy.

• We can partner you with organizations or individuals who are experienced in advocacy in these areas to help train you and teach how to do this. 

5. Give. Financial gifts are perhaps a highly impactful way to be involved in Fellowship Southwest.

• You can give specifically to the Knox Fund for Immigrant Relief. Your donations make it possible to feed, shelter, transport and protect migrants, welcoming them with compassion and treating them with the dignity they deserve as children of God but have often lacked on their journey.

• A gift to the general fund makes all of our work possible and helps us expand into other areas of ministry and advocacy. If you have given to Fellowship Southwest in the past, we invite you to consider becoming a monthly donor. Regular gifts help us to know each other better and build a community around a more compassionate and just world.