In the Meantime
Each week, in a small church sanctuary in Hell’s Kitchen, a diverse, interfaith group of volunteers serve asylum seekers and migrants through pro-bono legal support, access to food, housing, job resources, and a safe space to rest after their journey. They operate out of Metro Baptist Church, located across the street from the Port Authority Bus Terminal where buses from the border arrive each day.
Alexia Monserrath Sol Selvas, (above) a transgender woman from Southern Mexico, arrived in New York City almost two years ago seeking asylum from the violence and discrimination she faced in her hometown. After receiving aid from the volunteers at Metro Baptist Church, she secured housing, work and a caring community. Last month, Alexia was granted asylum. Now, she volunteers each week at Metro Baptist Church, helping welcome and support LGBTQ+ migrants arriving in the city.
“I have a dream to be a social worker. I want to give back the love I received from these people. There is so much love here.”
Abraham Sow arrived in NYC nearly two years ago from Guinea with his young daughter and pregnant wife. He is still waiting for his asylum to be granted and spends much of his time serving other migrants however he can.
“When I’m here, helping and translating, many people can know me and I can know them. I’m happy for that.
Back home in Guinea, we have big families and we all take care of each other. Here in America, it’s not like that. When people arrive from different countries, it’s easy to get lost. But this organization cares for people. It’s like a new family.”
Rachel Tigay volunteers alongside Alexia and Abraham in Hell’s Kitchen. Each week, she leads cooking sessions with migrants in the church kitchen, inviting them to cook meals from their home countries to share with the group.
“For most people we serve, it’s been a very long time since they’ve cooked,” Rachel said. “They’ve been traveling and now they’re living in shelters with hardly any food, barely a microwave.”
“Through the cooking program, we’re just giving them the opportunity to rebuild a community. They talk about their experiences back home, they learn about different cultures, and we all learn a lot about each other. I think we all heal here.”
“Policy takes a long time to change. In the meantime, there are people who urgently need support. And that’s what we’re doing here.”