13 August 2014

 

Salvation Army to help women & children deported to Tijuana
safely repatriate to their country of origin

SAN DIEGO – August 13, 2014 – The Salvation Army and local real estate entrepreneur Alex Zikakis have teamed together to open a shelter in Tijuana to provide resources and support to help women and children who have been deported by the U.S. safely repatriate to their country of origin.  

Hundreds of women and children are deported daily, released at the Tijuana Deportation Processing Center near the Tijuana riverbed.  Because may have lived in the U.S. for years and have no family in the area or connection to the city, they become targets for kidnapping and human trafficking. 

Zikakis, who has been involved in The Salvation Army’s Tijuana men’s shelter for 10 years, recently completed a 16-mile ocean swim along the coast of Kauai, raising more than $35,000 from friends and business associates for the new shelter. A lease for the facility has been signed and The Salvation Army will operate the shelter through The Salvation Army Mexico Territory.  

“This shelter will provide a safe haven for these women and children and help them reconnect with their home country so they can resume productive lives,” said Zikakis. “There were 17,000 child deportations from the U.S. last year alone, many of whom were located without one or both parents.  The shelter has nothing to do with politics, and all to do with helping these people transition safely back in Mexico.”

The Salvation Army said the shelter will accommodate 30 women and children at a time. The operating budget is estimated at $100,000 annually and the organization is accepting further donations to assist with its opening and subsequent costs.

“Our men’s program in Tijuana has sheltered migrants since 1957. This will be the model for the new women’s and children’s shelter,” said Lt. Colonel Sara Chagas, Territorial Secretary of Social Services with The Salvation Army. “Our hope is that more facilities will follow in Mexico along the U.S. border as awareness and understanding grow as to the challenges these deportees face after being ‘Americanized’ for so many years.”

Zikakis, a Carlsbad resident and president of Capstone Advisors, began volunteering with The Salvation Army in Tijuana after being introduced to it through his church. 

 “Without having been engaged in the men’s shelter first-hand, I would not have understood the magnitude of the violence and other risks deportees face and the issue is escalating rapidly,” said Zikakis. “I’ve been very fortunate to have a successful business and a wonderful family, and giving back to those truly in need is very important to me. Volunteering is impactful because you form a connection to the organization and people you are helping.  This shelter will make a very real difference in many lives each year and I am anxious to see it take shape over the next few months.”