SAN ANTONIO — A mother and child were rescued from harsh elements in remote ranchland in the Rio Grande Valley.
Federal officials say the two got lost around 2 a.m. Wednesday and were possibly abandoned by a smuggler.
Emergency placards deployed by the Missing Migrant Program instructed the mother to call 911 and the two were found safely and taken into custody.
For the children who cross the border alone, a national non-profit with a San Antonio branch is calling on helpers to raise their hands to serve as volunteer advocates.
Since October of last year, more than 21,000 children have attempted to cross the U.S.-Mexico border alone. That's according to a report by U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
Federal officials say these children are fleeing violence, exploitation and poverty. The majority are in the United States seeking asylum.
Just two weeks ago, two siblings from Honduras — ages 2 and 4 years old — were found by themselves along the Rio Grande.
"These people don't know where they are at or where they are going," said Chief Patrol Officer Robert Danley of Border Patrol's Del Rio Sector in a July interview. "The people that are making money off of them they just leave them in the middle of nowhere because they cant keep up."
When these children cross the border, they're taken into federal custody before they're placed in a shelter.
That's where The Young Center of San Antonio comes in. The non-profit with 10 locations nationwide advocates for the rights and best interests of unaccompanied children in federal custody.
"Learn their story, learn their background and basically help us be the voice for the children in this immigration process that it can be very complex even for adults," explained Veronica Rodriguez, Managing Attorney for The Young Center's San Antonio/DFW branch.
These volunteer advocates listen and relay the child's story and wishes to a judge or other decision makers.
"The work that we do, while it is very important and very impactful, it can also sometimes be very heavy," said Rodriguez. "Maybe they've been a victim of trafficking or maybe they have a medical or physical disability, or maybe they've been separated from their parents."
That's one reason why the The Young Center is calling for help.
In our region, 200 to 300 unaccompanied children are in federal custody. More volunteers are needed to help more children navigate through difficult decisions.
"We usually deal with the more complicated cases of kids who either have been detained for a very long time because they don't have any family or who have been separated from their family. We're trying to assist with that reunification," said Rodriguez. "There's always a need."
Most of the children come to our region from Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador. Because of that, Spanish-speaking volunteers are greatly needed right now. Each advocate will be paired up with a child and will meet once a week for one hour at a local shelter.
Volunteers won't be alone in their mission. The non-profit's child advocate supervisors will always be available to help.
For anyone who speaks other languages, your talents are needed, too. Migrant children from all over the world are in federal custody.
If you're interested in becoming a volunteer, The Young Center will host an informational session Aug. 18 at 6:30 p.m. They'll also have training sessions Sept. 7 and 8.
To learn more about what requirements are needed and more about the volunteer roles, visit theyoungcenter.org. You can also text "VOLUNTEER" to 1-833-904-4604.