Swim for HIAS
Swim to Mexico and Back to Support HIAS
Special Thanks To
Swim to Mexico and Back to Support HIAS
As an open-water swimmer, I have swum in beautiful waters across the United States, from San Francisco Bay to Patriots Point, from the Tennessee River to the lakes of Tonto National Forest.
But on November 2, 2019, I swam beyond the borders of the United States. I crossed Lake Amistad, a reservoir on the Rio Grande, swimming to Mexico and back to support HIAS.
Amistad National Recreation Area is located north of Del Rio, Texas. I grew up in Texas, and friends and family came to be my crew. The total swim was 10.2 miles and took over five hours.
Why swim for HIAS?
- Because refugees seeking sanctuary often risk their lives crossing water
- Because Oscar Alberto Martínez and his 23-month-old daughter, Angie Valeria, asylum seekers from El Salvador, drowned in the Rio Grande
- Because in the words of Warsan Shire, "no one puts their children in a boat unless the water is safer than the land."
And because the United States saved my family, and I want other families to be saved too.
I believe that water connects us more than it divides us. That's why I choose to swim for HIAS. Please donate.
Thank you,
Melinda
About HIAS
With a record high of nearly 80 million refugees and forcibly displaced people worldwide, your support is more crucial than ever.
For over a century, HIAS has been there for refugees when and where they need help most. Now working in the United States and 15 other countries, we provide vital services to refugees and asylum seekers of all faiths so they can rebuild their lives—over 1.4 million in 2020. With the Jewish community beside us, we also advocate for the rights of forcibly displaced people globally. Over our expansive history and with your partnership, we’ve confronted—and overcome—formidable challenges facing refugees.
There have never been more people seeking safety and so few places willing to protect and welcome them. Refugees deserve a world in which they find welcome, safety, and opportunity. With your support, we can create it.
Refugees Making a Difference. Watch more from HIAS.
