OCEANSIDE, Calif. (KGTV) – In recent days, dozens more migrants were dropped off in Oceanside as they seek asylum.
“My staff works seven days a week, 12 to 16 hours a day, and they’re reaching their limits,” said Logan Goverman of Interfaith Community Services.
“For me personally, it’s an emotional rollercoaster,” said volunteer Chuck Lowery.
The rollercoaster Lowery’s been on is volunteering his time with Interfaith Community Services to help asylum seekers get to their sponsors.
“I don’t want them to become homeless in here Oceanside so, I’m spending a lot of time on the ground to make sure we don’t have…well we already had way over 1,000 people come through here,” Lowery said.
Nonprofits from all over San Diego, from North County to the southern border, have been helping these folks looking for a better life.
Goverman said they’ve been getting donations from the community to keep going.
“The biggest issue is even though we have gotten it, we’re spending money every single week. And so, it only goes so far,” Goverman said.
On Tuesday, the San Diego County Board of Supervisors voted to make sure they can go farther. The supervisors approved a proposal put forth by Chair Nora Vargas to allocate $3 million to support local nonprofits as they process asylum seekers. It’s coming from non-designated funding from American Rescue Plan.
“Relief, right? Every single organization, every single volunteer, are working nonstop and this is the much needed support that we needed from our county,” Goverman said.
“But getting money from the county is really helpful because I mean I have people who work with me who I asked to help with us. And they went to the store yesterday and spent $170 of their money to buy bananas, apples, oranges, raisins,” Lowery said.
The funding will go towards things like transportation services, translations help, food, water, hygiene kits and more.
“One of our biggest needs right now is hygiene kits, right. They’re going through it every single day. These people are coming across the border where they haven’t showered for days,” Goverman said.
Vargas’ office told ABC 10News while the process is underway, it hasn’t been confirmed who the money will be given to at this point.
“We’re still figuring that out. We’re still figuring out what the process is like to get money allocated to us,” Goverman said.
“So, if the money comes in, in my opinion, it has to be managed very carefully; not just randomly spent on whatever,” Lowery said.
The proposal for the funding penned by Vargas said it’s expected to provide services for up to three months as work for more long-term funding from the federal government continues.
