BORDERLINKS PEACE INITIATIVE

 The BorderLinks Peace Initiative was chosen by the congregation in 2006 to be our national peace initiative. BorderLinks is a bi-national non-profit organization that offers experiential educational seminars along the border between Mexico and the United States. They focus on the issues of global economics, militarization, immigration, and popular resistance to oppression and violence.

We think nationally, but work locally. Each summer we have assisted the Hartville Migrant Ministry with its children’s program. The center has a summer day program for the migrant children. We sponsor several of their events each summer and go to Hartville to work with the children and are chaperones for some trips. Activities in which we have assisted are Art week, YMCA swim lessons, Photography week, visit to the Refuge of Hope Homeless Shelter and trips to the zoo. July 7, 2009 several members from Westminster were “zoo buddies” for the Akron Zoo trip.

We took several College of Wooster students to BorderLinks in Tucson, AZ and Nogales, MEXICO March 9-15, 2008. We have another trip scheduled for March 2010. Other activities we have organized or participated in are:

• Church dinner and presentation following our BorderLinks trip to MEXICO
  
• Semi-annual lunch box collections during Advent and Lent to assist the children in Nogales at the Casa de la Misericordia Immigrant Worker Project speaker Jeff Stewart’s program on immigration issues
  
• Events sponsored by Pueblo de Esperanza at the college
  
• Popcorn and movie night showing “Crossing Arizona”
  
• Necklace sale made by the women of “Cooperativa de Mujeres de Casa Misericordia”
  
• Jason Lorenzon, immigration lawyer’s presentation sponsored not only by Westminster, but also Trinity UCC, St. Mary, and Salem Mennonite churches This resulted in the formation of a “Four Church partnership” to discuss immigration
  
• Adult education programs on Hartville Ministries, BorderLinks trips, and immigration issues
  

During the summer of 2009 we assisted the employees of the Senor Pancho's restaurant in Orrville, OH, after a fire left the families temporarily without sufficient income. In addition we have joined Presbyterians for Just Immigration, a network of Presbyterians interested in various immigration issues and how these issues impact their communities, churches and presbyteries. Our BorderLinks committee is very active and we encourage others to join us. If members of the congregation or community would like to participate in any of our activities, please call the church office.