Team Brownsville to be recognized for humanitarian work

Team Brownsville will be recognized in Washington, D.C., on Sunday for their humanitarian work with asylum seekers at the yearly Anti-Defamation League In Concert Against Hate.

A 25-year tradition, ADL In Concert Against Hate is a premier event in Washington, DC. Every year, ADL honors real-life heroes who have performed extraordinary acts of courage and compassion when confronted with anti-Semitism, hatred and bigotry. This year due to COVID-19 the concert will be online, the official website reads.

“We are accepting this award on behalf of all the volunteers and all the donors,” Sergio Cordova, co-founder of Team Brownsville, said. “We are only the leaders. The award goes to all of the people who have helped the two and a half years that Team Brownsville has been helping asylum seekers. I want to say that this award is for all volunteers and donors, without them we couldn’t do this work.”

Cordova, Andrea Rudnik, Michael Benavides and David and Melba Lucio are the five co-founders of Team Brownsville who two and a half years ago decided to make a change for asylum seekers and have since then provided migrants with tents, food, medical equipment, clothing, medicines, water, makeshift schools and more.

“The award is going to be given to Team Brownsville because of the humanitarian work that we are doing at the camp with the asylum in Matamoros and in Brownsville,” Cordova said.

“Team Brownsville is the one that has provided all the tents, the food, the distribution of water. We, along with Angry Tias, have built the tiendas where we provide the shelter with the tents, the hygiene products, the clothing and all that.”

When asked about the importance of continuing this work, Cordova said seeking asylum is legal and we are all human. Team Brownsville is still accepting volunteers for their storage rooms and donations that will go to help the needs of the asylum seekers.

“Seeking asylum is a legal process that was started back after the Holocaust and millions and millions of people were killed,” he said.

“They tried to come and seek asylum, the ships came to the U.S., and they turned them away and you know where they ended up. Seeking asylum is legal and these are people that are coming, and are humans, just like you and me.”

To donate, visit teambrownsville.org

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