A Venezuelan mother, “Maria,” arrived in the United States late last year with her three children. She left Venezuela at 23 when conditions became too grim. She emigrated to Colombia. There, she followed her career as a hair stylist and nail technician, but circumstances deteriorated and she decided to make the difficult journey to the U.S., like millions before her, in hopes of a better life for her children.

It’s hard to imagine the courage it must take to gather your children, two girls and one boy, to take on the long, arduous journey to the United States. Maria and the children walked, hitchhiked and rode buses, paying gang members for safe passage and fearing for their lives.

The family crossed the border in Texas in the fall to seek asylum. They entered the country legally and have an asylum hearing scheduled in 2027. They were bused to Denver courtesy of the State of Texas and found housing in a shelter. They now live in a downtown apartment and are getting help from an American couple who organized their friends and family to contribute $1,000 per month for six months to help cover the $1,700 rent. Maria will earn the remainder working as a housekeeper, construction site worker and chef selling empanadas and arepas she makes with the help of an American friend.

Stay up to speed: Sign up for daily opinion in your inbox Monday-Friday

Maria’s children are learning English. They delight in sharing their art projects, toys and other presents from the holidays and engaging in everyday life in the city. Their next task is to enroll in school and begin their education here. They will seek a K-8 school so the siblings can attend the same school.

Maria is one of more than 30,000 mostly Venezuelan migrants who have arrived in Denver in the last year. More than 4,000 of these newcomers, mostly women and children, are currently being housed in shelters run by the City of Denver. Their journey recollects past immigration waves of Irish, Germans, Italians, Scandinavians, Japanese and Chinese who sought a new life here in the 19th century. So many Americans’ ancestors faced the same trials. Fortunately for Maria’s family and many others, those who came before are stepping up to help those who are arriving now. A combination of official, non-profit and neighbor-based helpers are pitching in.

Many Venezuelans were sheltered in Denver’s Highlands neighborhood; others set up a large tent encampment in the same area in the fall of 2023. That’s when Highlands Moms and Neighbors stepped up to provide support for the newcomers. The group, which has swelled to more than 6,000 concerned neighbors, is a “grassroots, volunteer effort to meet the specific needs of newly arriving migrants.” Coordinating through its Facebook page, this non-partisan group of helpers has pieced together the basics – food, clothing, shelter and employment – for hundreds of men, women and children struggling to make it through this winter.

For several months the Highlands Moms have put in more than 12,000 volunteer hours and served more than 20,000 meals at shelters and encampments throughout the metro area. They have been joined by similar “Moms” groups in other areas of the city with large migrant populations. The Highlands group has organized a volunteer-run “closet” at a local church, open Tuesday and Thursday, where migrants can shop for free warm weather clothing, shoes, luggage and other items to carry them through the winter. Volunteers sort the many donations from the community and help migrants find what they need. Denver Friends Church takes in 30 people a night for shelter.

Other volunteers help migrants find shelter. A local Friends church offers overnight stays with meals, showers and personal hygiene items when the temperature drops below 32 degrees Fahrenheit. Some volunteers open their homes to migrants, offering rooms and help finding jobs. Currently, more than 200 migrants are hosted in local homes.

Some volunteers help migrants set up businesses so they can support themselves while waiting for work permits. These range from baking and selling Venezuelan specialties such as pan jamon, arepas and empanadas to shoveling snow, cleaning houses, painting or detailing cars. The newcomers are desperate for work. Highlands Moms and others have collected more than $134,000 in donated money and resources to help families. More than 300 migrants have been hired for jobs and 35 individuals have already started their own businesses.

Migrants also need help navigating the health, education and legal systems, all of which have been strained by the sheer number of newcomers. A recent story from Denver General described the effect to the hospital of the wave of people needing medical, dental and mental health support. Then there are the hundreds of children who are registering for school. School districts will need more English Language Learning teachers and other supports to ease children’s transition into Colorado’s public education system.

Migrants need legal help to apply for work permits and a path toward permanent residency. Work permits require an official application submitted by mail with a $545 application fee. There’s also the cost of biometric screening and proof of vaccinations. It is difficult to come up with the required funds if they can’t legally work. Though some progress is being made in finding funding for permits, many are still waiting. The adults are desperate for work but are stuck by the work permitting process.

The next challenge for many newcomers will be finding homes when they have to exit the city’s shelters, many in early February. Finding apartments in a tight and expensive rental market is straining capacity. Many landlords require a letter from an employer that states renters make two-times the amount of rent. Work permits are a barrier. Those helping migrants are stymied by the work permit process.

Obviously the federal government must step up to mitigate these problems. Citizens like the Highland Moms can only do so much. More resources at every stage of a migrant’s transition into U.S. life are essential. Moving migrants quickly to some certainty about their status in the U.S., and especially to enable work, is critical.

While other countries are losing population and facing a crisis of workers to support aging populations, the U.S. is growing slightly because of immigration. Individuals from troubled countries make a rational decision to leave and make a life here. Unfortunately, they are greeted by a chaotic, irrational system that prolongs hardship. In Denver, thanks to volunteers like Highlands Moms and Neighbors, some of the burden on migrants is eased. Maria and her family are safe, housed, clothed and fed because their Denver neighbors care. We didn’t do enough in the 1930s as Europe and Asia descended into war. We should be able to do better now.

Paula Noonan owns Colorado Capitol Watch, the state’s premier legislature tracking platform.