From the Desk of the CEO: The Economic Argument for Welcoming Refugees and Immigrants
By Jeff Thielman, President and CEO at the International Institute of New England For those of us who feel strongly about advocating for the rights and protections of refugees and immigrants, the reasons we do so are deeply human. Refugees and [...]
1924-1934: Fostering Community
1924-1934: Fostering Community "100 Years of Welcome: Commemorating IINE's Boston Centennial" Series: Installment #2 Welcome to the second installment of our series, “100 Years of Welcome: Commemorating IINE’s Boston Centennial.” You can find the first installment, which described an [...]
IINE Honors Giovanni Caforio, Bristol Myers Squibb’s Executive Chairman of the Board, at 42nd Golden Door Award Gala
On Monday, March 4, 480 IINE community members gathered at the Fairmont Copley Plaza Hotel in Boston for our 42nd Golden Door Award Gala. Each year, the Golden Door Award is presented to an immigrant who has made outstanding contributions to [...]
Farewell to IINE’s Friend and Leadership Council Member Wayne Chen
We were saddened to learn that Wayne Chen passed away on March 5, 2024. His family surrounded him in love and comfort during his final days at home. After attending an IINE Suitcase Stories event in Weston, MA, Wayne Chen became [...]
What Does It Take to Find Affordable Housing for Refugees and Immigrants?
It’s no secret that housing is extremely scarce in New England’s cities. A “vacancy rate” is the percentage of a city’s existing housing that’s available to rent. Lowell, Massachusetts has a vacancy rate of 7%. Boston’s hovers around 2% and Manchester, [...]
Employee Profile: Meet Jessica Gutierrez, Immigrant Family Support Coordinator
Jessica joined IINE in 2023 as an Immigrant Family Support Coordinator on our Unaccompanied Children's Program (UCP) team. The UCP team helps children, some as young as two years old, who have fled their homes in Central America and crossed the [...]
The International Institute of New England Celebrates 100 Years of Service in Boston
February marks 100 years since the International Institute of Boston first opened its doors to welcome and support people from all around the world BOSTON – February 15, 2024 – The International Institute of New England (IINE) celebrates the centennial anniversary [...]
1910-1924: Redefining Americanism
1910-1924: Redefining Americanism "100 Years of Welcome: Commemorating IINE's Boston Centennial" Series: Installment #1 The International Institute of New England is thrilled to share the first installment of our new series, “100 Years of Welcome: Commemorating IINE’s Boston Centennial.” [...]
What is a “Climate Refugee?”
6 things to understand about how the climate crisis is displacing people worldwide and what we can do to help “The period of global warming has ended; the period of global boiling has arrived,” United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres [...]
Crafting A Warm Welcome: A Volunteer’s Homemade Blankets Help Refugees Through the Cold
During the harsh chill of their first New England winter, several of IINE’s refugee clients are finding warmth in beautiful, hand-crafted blankets from longtime community volunteer Lydia Walshin. Each time Lydia donates one of the colorful “Welcome Blankets” she has crocheted, [...]
Employee Profile: Meet Andrew Vontzalides, TVAP Case Specialist
Andrew joined IINE in 2023 after working with Venezuelan immigrants as a Fulbright ETA (English Teaching Assistant) in Colombia and past efforts with immigrant and refugee populations as a graduate student in Worcester, Massachusetts. As the TVAP (Trafficking Victim Assistance Program) [...]
Finding Hope at Gucci: Anastasiia Kadzevych’s Story
Anastasiia didn’t want to leave her home of Odesa, Ukraine, but as the invasion intensified, she found she had no choice. Arriving in Boston in the summer of 2023 with her husband, Anastasiia turned to the International Institute of New England [...]