Inside the network of Americans volunteering to help reunited migrant families

Thursday is the court-ordered deadline for the Trump administration to reunite migrant families who were separated at the border. More than 1,600 children will be with their parents by the end of the day, reports Vox, and will enter the network of nonprofits and volunteers who have stepped up to help.

When Immigration and Customs Enforcement releases migrants from detention, many move to intake centers run by local nonprofits. But their trials and tribulations are far from over — many have just a few days to recuperate from their ordeal, spend time with their children, and figure out how they will get to the often faraway locations where they are expected for their next ICE check-in appointment.

To make that transition time as pleasant as possible, scores of American nonprofit workers and volunteers have chipped in however possible. Vox reports instances when helpers celebrated a 7-year-old's birthday with cupcakes, screened Coco for recently reunited families, and crowdsourced hundreds of prepaid cell phones so that migrants could get in touch with family members and volunteer legal counsel. Empathetic volunteers have offered everything from plane tickets to spiritual guidance.

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Other workers describe an inspiring flood of support from generous Americans who simply want to provide comfort in the form of donated toys and meals, hoping migrants realize that their experience with the U.S. government doesn't represent all Americans' views. "The generosity of the community has been amazing," said Connie Phillips, who runs an intake center in Phoenix. "These families — we've been told this is the first time in the United States that anyone's been kind to them." Read more at Vox.