In recent months, thousands of asylum seekers from Central America have made the trek to the U.S. border with Mexico, desperately attempting to secure legal asylum in the United States from instability and organized crime. A large proportion of those individuals thus far have been unaccompanied and separated children (UASC), minors fleeing violence on their own with no parent or guardian.

As a border city, San Diego has led the charge in caring for these children, setting up shelters around the county. Over the last five months, Millie's Bookshelf has provided hundreds of comfort packs for asylum seeker children to the shelters to distribute to children in need. Each backpack features an age-appropriate Spanish book, a warm blanket, journal, stuffed animal, and miscellaneous other toys and supplies.

Millie's Bookshelf Executive Director, Katie Howland, shared the motivation for the program.

"We have been lucky to serve refugees around the world for several years now at Millie's Bookshelf, and it has been a blessing to be able to bring that same work to our own backyard. The ability to seek asylum is a fundamental human right. We applaud Mayor Todd Gloria for opening the San Diego Convention Center to the children embarking on this brave journey."

In addition to providing comfort packs at two shelter locations, Millie's Bookshelf also deployed a Rapid Response Library - a mobile mini library solution for transitory locations like a migrant shelter. For more information on how to sponsor a Rapid Response Library, email info@milliesbookshelf.org.