Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) is gathering donations to send care kits to immigration detainees who are being released from centres along the United States-Mexico border while they wait for the processing of their refugee claim, says MCC Manitoba CEO Darryl Loewen.

"Kits to help take care of their basic human needs, since many or most are being released without anything except the clothes on their back," Loewen said.

MCC is best known for the work it does overseas in impoverished countries, but Loewen says the need is just as great in parts of North America, especially with the rising population of newcomers.

"This response in detainee care kits is a North American application of (MCC's) work that takes places around the world," he said.

"There has been a growing interest to respond. In Manitoba, we've been contacted by compassionate folks who wonder if there's a Manitoba response that can be added to the measures being taken to attempt to help these folks."

Each kit costs $78.50 CAD and includes items like clothing, hygiene products and pen and paper. Donations collected in Manitoba will be forwarded to Kansas where the packages are being prepared. The kits will then be delivered by volunteers to those in need.

"One kit impacts one person, and the more the better because the number of detainees is really, really high," Loewen said.