“I have seen God in this work more than in any other sector of my life,” says Rita Rinner, a dedicated member of Jesuit Refugee Service/USA’s Migrant Accompaniment Network and one half of Denver’s volunteer team.

For this June edition of INSIDER, Rita shares her experience accompanying a Venezuelan family of six on their journey to find safety and stability in Colorado.

The first meeting, Rita explained, is always to learn who the family is and understand their most immediate needs. A member of the Ignatian Volunteer Corps, Rita is a retired human resources manager and Peter, her friend and partner in this work, is a retired neurosurgeon.

Rita laughed a bit when she recalled how in preparation for joining the Migrant Accompaniment Network, she and Peter contacted nearly every nonprofit in the greater Denver area that might be able to provide support or resources to recent arrivals. They wanted every possible resource at their disposal, but they soon realized nothing could have prepared them for this experience.  ​​​​​​

Ahead of their first meeting at the family’s trailer in early November 2023, Denver had been abuzz with news of an impending cold front. Rita and Peter always meet new families together so, they knocked on the door excited to welcome the newcomers.

The family of six, including the mother, father, and four boys between the ages of 11 and 18, wore flip flops and t-shirts. Rita and Peter quickly realized the inside of the trailer was as cold as the temperature outside. Having fled Venezuela to Colombia then Colombia to the United States, the family did not have appropriate clothing for Colorado’s sub-freezing temperatures.

In Venezuela, the family faced threats from the government and increasing violence. They fled to Colombia and lived there for five years until their children faced abuse in schools, leading to a lawsuit that put the family in more danger. They fled again.

After walking through seven countries, they arrived in El Paso, Texas, where they turned themselves in at the border. They were released from a detention center where the JRS El Paso team met them and connected them with Jovana Nieto, Manager of JRS’s Migrant Accompaniment Network. Once the family made plans to resettle in Denver, she connected them with Rita and Peter. ​​​​​

Their modest trailer had two bedrooms and a kitchen, no space for a living room, but the family was grateful for their own space and safety in Denver. The immediate need was clearly getting the family equipped to withstand the cold. So, Rita and Peter showed them how to use their heater, and then the eight of them made a trip to Walmart.

“The road map once they arrive here is undefined and very complex,” Rita remarked. “They needed food, clothing, and work.”

It took months for both parents to find cash paying jobs which is the only way they can make a living until they can legally apply for a work permit at the end of this year. US law requires an individual to wait 150 days after they have filed an asylum claim to apply for work authorization. “They are working so tremendously hard,” Rita said. The family’s asylum hearing is scheduled for March 2025.

She described how God has walked alongside her throughout her time volunteering. “There are so many moments where I realize it wasn’t Peter or it wasn’t me but something, someone, greater. This is the most challenging and the most beautiful work I have been a part of.”

Rita described with great appreciation how her own community has gotten involved to help and support her, Peter, and this family. A month ago, a member of the family’s church let them know about a three bedroom home becoming available. When the family could not afford the deposit, an anonymous donor stepped in.

Rita and Peter helped the family move into their new home. “The connection with this family is a real blessing,” Rita said. She recounted how upon visiting the house most recently, one of the sons ran up to her, eager to show her a recording of his most recent track meet.

Peter, Rita, and their networks helped the family obtain beds, fans, and some household goods. They are still working on finding living room furniture, something the family did not have the space for before.

Since meeting this family, Rita and Peter have welcomed two more. Rita said people’s capacity to be compassionate has surprised her most in the last two years. She and Peter recently visited El Paso, and she was in awe of the ways people were trying to help one another there.

“You can see so much of one narrative on the news that you start to believe one thing, but I have seen the ways people will stretch for you.”

“I have learned so much from these families,” Rita concluded, “from little things like the importance of greeting one another in messages to greater moments of gratitude for God for this life we have.”

If you are interested in becoming a part of the Migrant Accompaniment Network, visit this webpage or contact Jovana Nieto at jovana.nieto@jrsusa.org.