I was recently contacted by Jack and Cheryl Ferrell of Las Placitas Presbyterian Church in Las Placitas, NM. They wanted to let me know about a small but very important nonprofit called Centro Comunitario Respetrans (Respectrans Community Center) in Juarez, Mexico, which they are supporting through LPPC’s Dignity Mission.

Mexico is one of the most dangerous countries in the Western Hemisphere for transgender people, and migrants are especially vulnerable. In November 2018, nurse Grecia Herrera opened Respetrans as a shelter for transgender migrants, most of whom are women with children. The shelter is predominantly operated by the migrants themselves, who cycle in and out as they have their asylum hearings. Dignity Mission supports the shelter by using volunteers to ferry carloads of food, clothing and medical supplies from the United States. The shelter receives little or no support from the Mexican government, and it is the only shelter of its kind in the region.

Jack and Cheryl have asked for our community to chip in with donations to help Grecia and Respetrans continue this crucial work. You can do so by going to http://www.lasplacitaschurch.org/give, setting up a one-time or recurring donation, and specifying that it is for Dignity Mission. Checks can also be mailed to LPPC at P.O. Box 768, Placitas, NM 87043. Make sure to use the memo line to specify the purpose of the gift.

I hope you’ll join me in supporting our transgender siblings south of the border. Every little bit that we can contribute will make a huge difference in the lives of the most vulnerable among us.

Thanks much,

To learn more about Respetrans: https://www.desertexposure.com/stories/strong-women-on-the-border,66963