Airport worker helps migrants in Denver who recently have arrived in Colorado
By JASMINE ARENAS
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DENVER (KCNC) — Denver is currently providing housing for more than 2,600 migrants. The city has aided nearly 30,000 who have come from the southern border at a cost of $33 million.
One 74-year-old Colorado woman has made it her mission in life to aid those migrants when she can, making sure they have a friend in the Mile High City to lean on. Arriving in a new country is hard enough, but Maria “Mia” Henriquez is making it a little easier for those who feel lost.
For the past six months, Henriquez has been helping newly arriving migrants who cross her path by either buying them a meal, giving them a ride to a shelter, helping them find their way around Denver International Airport or simply translating. She works at the airport checking IDs, placing tags on bags and has now taken it upon herself to translate for those who need help in Spanish.
“And when they get here it’s fine, but then there’s no one to direct them here so they sit around because they don’t know the language until they find somebody who speaks Spanish,” said Henriquez.
She is that somebody, and about a week ago Henriquez met a family who had just arrived from San Antonio, Texas. They are one of the many migrant families that left Venezuela in search of a better life.
“My boss, came to me and said ‘Maria there’s some people sitting there and they don’t speak English’ and I said ‘What’s going on?’ And they said they had just got here,” Henriquez said.
Henriquez bought them food, put them in a hotel and later dropped them off at a city shelter. She was not familiar with the process, but learned a lot about the shelters migrant families are currently staying at. She was surprised to learn their time at a shelter is limited.
The family, expressing themselves in Spanish, said “It is not like (Mia) is a millionaire or anything. She is very humble, but she still helped and helps us.” The family sees her as family for all the help she has provided them.
“I just couldn’t leave them in the street, I mean, would you leave them in the street? No!” said Henriquez.
Henriquez knows the struggle herself. For five months, she was living at a shelter and only recently moved into her own space. She understands what is it like to be homeless and fears for families like the Venezueluans, but more so for the children.
“I know what it is like to have money and I know what it is like to be poor, to be in the streets,” said Henriquez, which is why she does not hesitate to lend a helping hand.
“I think every human being would do basically the same and I think there are way more good Samaritans than me,” said Henriquez.
The Denver International Airport says information to help newly arriving migrants is also available at any customer service info booth.
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