NYC migrant crisis: Where to volunteer and what to donate

Mayor Eric Adams has repeatedly urged New Yorkers to volunteer or donate to help ease the asylum-seeker crisis, but figuring out where to go to help or what items to give can be difficult.

For information on how New Yorkers can help, Gothamist spoke with the mayor’s office as well as several organizers involved in daily efforts to aid migrants who have recently arrived in the city.

Nearly 60,000 asylum-seekers are currently in the city’s emergency shelter system, and about 19,000 homeless children have enrolled in public schools since the ongoing wave of migrants began last year.

While many organizers cautioned that their needs are frequently changing, here’s what they say they need now.

South Bronx Mutual Aid

https://sbxma.com/

646-598-3526

Direct message them on Instagram @southbronxmutualaid.

WHAT YOU CAN DONATE

• Hygiene products and toiletries like deodorant, toothpaste and toothbrushes.
• New and used clean clothing for men, particularly in small and medium sizes.
• New socks and underwear for men.
• Baby diapers.
• Money. Use this website, which also shows how donations are spent.

Contact organizers to arrange donations of goods, which can be mailed to the following address: PO Box 216, Bronx, NY 10464.

Please contact South Bronx Mutual Aid before putting any items in the mail.

HOW YOU CAN VOLUNTEER

South Bronx Mutual Aid has an urgent need for volunteer translation services to help communication with migrants. To volunteer, call the number above or direct message the organization on Instagram to find out which migrant shelter to go to. Translators are needed for:

• Spanish
• French
• African languages, including Wolof and Fulani
• Arabic

HEAR IT FROM THEM

South Bronx Mutual Aid has routinely assisted immigrants in the borough since its founding in April 2020. Now, the group dedicates most of its time to visiting migrant shelters, getting to know the migrants, discussing their needs and directly providing aid.

Ariadna Phillips, the founder of the group, said that translation services are…