Across the country a number of U.S. bishops have urged a merciful response to the crisis of unaccompanied minors at the U.S. border, and their parishioners have stepped up in response to the call. Dozens of parishioners in the small community of Oracle, Ariz., 30 miles north of Tucson, are one example. They are donating their time, talent and treasure to make sure children fleeing danger in their home countries are welcomed and supported in the United States. The initiative, known as the Have a Heart Campaign, hopes to convey the message that Oracle as a community “has a heart” when it comes to immigrants seeking a better life. “We [want] to express our view that we should be a welcoming, supportive community, not a rejecting one,” one resident said. The effort counters a string of protests that began in Murrieta, Calif., where hundreds carrying American flags and protest signs blocked the path of buses carrying immigrant children and families.

This article appears in August 18-25 2014.