Early Winter Newsletter & Update From Our Executive Director

Happy Holidays AIDNW Family & Friends!

We, the board and staff, are thankful for each and every one of you. AIDNW is you and you are AIDNW. Thanks to all of you who have graciously donated your time, talent, and treasure to make sure this work continues. You demonstrate daily that this mission is larger than any one of us and words cannot express the thankfulness and hope that we are taking from your energy into 2025.

Thank you to the RV Crew! You guys have been totally rocking it! Also thanks to the Bookmongers! Your number of donated books this year was absolutely incredible! And to all the Visitation Volunteers and Pen-Pals out there: your consistency and dedication is amazing!

Finally, thank you to everyone who donated to our Giving Tuesday Campaign. Money is still coming in! Don’t forget, if your company matches donations, to fill out the corresponding paperwork.

The Executive Board has approved the 2025 budget and one of our top priorities is stabilizing our finances so we can pursue our housing options once again. Thanks to all of our partner World Relief host homes!

As we enter into 2025, it is imperative that we remain diligent and flexible with the support that we offer at the Welcome Center and how we collaborate with our community partners.

Wishing you and yours the happiest and healthiest of holidays! – Yours in service, Lynette

Saluting AIDNW Hero Mark Crewson

As the “old” 36 foot RV rolls down E. J street for the last time, we want to recognize the invaluable, years-long, behind the scenes contribution of Mark Crewson.  Mark used his mechanical ability, problem-solving smarts and remarkable dedication to keep the RV operating as the AIDNW Welcome Center. Mark kept the gas and propane filled without being asked, took many trips to dump liquids in the early years, and handled the complex installation and management of the solar array with skill and grace, climbing onto the RV roof many times.Many a Welcome Center volunteer has called him in a panic, as inverter alarms beeped or the engine battery failed, while guests waited anxiously for boarding passes that wouldn’t print. Mark always responded with calm and helpful advice. Never once did he blame us for our frequent mistakes or give us the eyeroll we may well have deserved.

Thank you Mark!

Mark Crewson affixing solar to the Welcome Center RV Roof

Notes from the Welcome Center

As the big RV was prepped for sale, cabinets emptied, and AIDNW logos scraped off, Welcome Center volunteers began operating out of an older, smaller RV on loan from generous AIDNW volunteers Kim and Chris Chisholm. The numbers of people released in November varied widely, but there were only two days with no releases, and four days where volunteers saw up to 23 guests.  Here are some excerpts from Welcome Center nightly reports:

“It was a hectic day today as we welcomed 12 men to the AIDNW tents, three from Egypt, three from Jordan, two from India, one from Bolivia, one from Mauritania, one from Nepal, and one from Turkey. Fortunately for all, Diana was on top of things.”

“It was another day of a significant number of releases, about 15. Mary and Livia and I were waiting with a man from India whose sister was expected to come out. We greeted a man from Mexico and Livia with her fluent Spanish, and Mary working Zelle, arranged his plane ticket to Charlotte North Carolina. Then, about 13 people came out all at once.”

“There was a lot of juggling because many spoke little or no English. There were several Arabic speaking men, including one from Jordan, along with one Nepali, and one man from Bolivia…. Our phones were translating, receiving messages from families, and sending ticket confirmation codes all at once. With all the electronics working, we found flights, and purchased and printed tickets.”

“I drove 6 people to the airport. Livia almost drove another 4 but as we were about to go, an Uber showed up that La Resistencia apparently helped get, so those 4 piled in. Fortunately I ran into them at the airport since most needed boarding passes printed… I escorted 9 of them to security and a supervisor put them in a different line, and gave them directions for going through the scanners, and I was very. relieved to see they all made it – wasn’t sure I got all their boarding passes correct since some were printed at the Welcome Center, some at the airport, some at the ticket counters, two not leaving until morning etc.,etc”

“Mary wanted to send thanks to the person who left puzzles and books at the Welcome Center earlier this week. She and Livia reviewed content in French, etc. to make sure the books pass GEO censors, sorted and labeled the books, and took them into the detention center. Dozens of books in Chinese went in as a result of the report we received earlier this week that several Chinese women in detention had little/nothing to do and were constantly sad in there. Mary says that AIDNW’s book group has delivered 5,000 titles this year! So the detention center can’t take any more books in English until January.However, there is still a need for foreign language books and puzzles, and they can be dropped off at the Welcome Center when it’s open.”

“It was a hectic day with a whopping 23 releases. Olivia, Carlos and PDAN Donna, along with myself [April] and Aidan who we called in to help, were our volunteers today. Carlos took a few individuals who did not have tickets or could not secure one to the Sikh temple. Olivia took some individuals to the airport, and Donna ran between the bus stop and the Welcome Center. All the sack lunches were all given out.”

“It was a pleasure to serve.”