MOUNT VERNON — Wayne Uhrig’s love of international travel and helping youth combined for an unforgettable experience when he took supplies to a migrant youth center in Mexico.
Last month, he traveled to Tijuana, Mexico, to visit the Casa YMCA for Migrant Children. Five other volunteers accompanied him.
All retired from the YMCA and are part of the YMCA Alumni’s International Service Corps (ISC).
Established in 1982 to serve YMCAs in China, the ISC branched out to include other countries.
The ISC connected with Mexico when the national YMCA office said an opportunity arose in Tijuana.
“As soon as we heard the story about migrant youth at a migrant YMCA on the border, we said, ‘We’re all over this one,’” Uhrig said.
Uhrig contacted vendors who attend YMCA conferences and asked them to donate clothing, school supplies, toys, and other items. They responded.
“We had donations, either cash or gifts, between $250 up to $14,000. I was able to get about $24,000 worth of T-shirts, jackets, shoes, and school supplies,” Uhrig said.
Rapid Transit Sports of State College, PA, donated 140 pairs of new tennis shoes, although there were only eight migrant youths at the casa.
“We wanted to make sure the donations were there for any kids who come and go,” Uhrig explained. “And we let the Y decide if they have homeless men and women that need shoes and clothing because we’re going to be sending annual donations.”
The ISC shipped the shoes and other items to the YMCA of San Diego, which took them across the border.
Then, as Uhrig said, came the fun part.
Meeting the migrant youths
“We met with the kids and gave them gift bags, and we made sure they got a new pair of shoes that fit,” Uhrig said. “And then we played Bingo, which was fun because they didn’t speak English and some of us didn’t speak Spanish.”
Because the USA team also had cash donations, the volunteers took the migrant youths to Walmart.
“We let them buy what they wanted to buy. Basketballs, more clothes. One little boy bought an air gun. They had the time of their life,” Uhrig said.
But, as Uhrig pointed out, there’s always the good and the bad.
At the end of the day, when the volunteers said they would have to leave, one girl asked if they would be back the next day.
When the volunteers said no, she asked if they would return the day after. Again, the volunteers said no and told her they would not be back at all.
“Then she got pretty teary-eyed,” Uhrig said. “So we know that we had an impact on these kids. We probably won’t see them if we go back next year, but we know it impacted their lives.
“What we do know is they are in good hands with the YMCA. The kids will stay there, attend school, and wait to be reunited with their families.”
The Tijuana trip was Uhrig’s first trip with ISC. It wasn’t his first international trip with the Y.
Decades of YMCA involvement
Uhrig’s love of international travel started in high school when he visited England. He also traveled while earning his undergraduate degree at John Wesley College in Michigan.
“So I’ve always had that international part about me, not knowing at that point that I was going to be in a Y,” he said.
Uhrig led the Mount Vernon YMCA from 1986 to 2006. He joined the ISC in 2018 and chaired its leadership committee for three years.
“I got involved as a volunteer because I had been a volunteer for the YMCA USA when I was employed, and we traveled to many different countries to work with other YMCAs,” he said.
Countries included Israel and Gaza, Greece, Macedonia, and Bulgaria.
“When I got involved here [at Mount Vernon’s YMCA], there were funds available for international work. When I retired, I called a friend of mine and said I want to stay involved internationally,” Uhrig said.
He joined the ISC in 2018 and chaired the committee for three years.
Crossing the border
The team crossed the US-Mexican border on Oct. 23 and returned on Oct. 28.
Uhrig said the Oct. 23 border crossing was interesting because of the current border issues.
“We didn’t see what you see on TV,” he explained. “Whether it was the inspection we went through, which was very minimal, walking the border while we were there we didn’t see the people trying to get across. We just didn’t see the issues that we hear about.”
The return crossing took 10 to 15 minutes.
“We emptied our van, and everybody got out for a full search like they do a lot of people. But we were fine,” he said.
The YMCA has three Mexican locations. The YMCA Youth Migrant Center houses youths who are displaced from their families.
“When they told us they were displaced, they didn’t really say why. The government identifies these kids and sends them to the YMCA. We don’t get a lot of information on the parents — where they are, what happened. I mean, bad things could have happened to their parents,” Uhrig said.
The youths range from age 10 to 13. Numbers are currently down, but one girl has been there almost a year.
“What’s scary is not knowing come January, with the push to get the illegals back and all that, what they’re going to go through. I don’t know how that’s going to go, but we’re going to stay in contact with the YMCA there because of the unknown,” Uhrig said.
The experience of a lifetime
Uhrig said he’ll always remember his Tijuana experience.
“I think what set it off the most for me was one, to experience it in person, but also feeling the impact it had on these children,” he said. “It’s just something you don’t forget.”
Uhrig relates his Tijuana visit to a 2004 trip to a Bulgarian orphanage.
“I’ll never forget that experience because if we had pens and pencils and key chains and things we gave the kids, you would have thought it was Christmas time. They were so excited,” he said.
“I relate Tijuana’s experience with going to the orphanage in Bulgaria as the two highlights of my career involving children,” he said.
The October Tijuana trip probably won’t be the last for the ISC. Before leaving the U.S., the ISC volunteers met with Oscar Velazquez, CEO of the YMCA of Mexico.
“He was just delighted that we were taking on this opportunity and hoped it could lead to other opportunities throughout Mexico,” Uhrig said.
The YMCA of San Diego and the YMCA of Mexico are working to bring the Tijuana YMCA under San Diego’s oversight, similar to a satellite campus.
“It will be the first one on record,” Uhrig said, adding that he will be part of the coalition working through the process.
Anyone interested in supporting ISC’s effort in Tijuana or other countries can call Uhrig at 740-398-2830 or email wuhrig.msusports@gmail.com.
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