The International Institute of New England (IINE) welcomes the encouraging news that the Biden administration is planning to admit up to 100,000 refugees from Ukraine to the United States. Together with our partners in communities in Massachusetts and New Hampshire, we stand ready to support Ukrainians fleeing the invasion and to welcome and support them as they reunite with family living in New England or join our communities without any personal connections. We encourage the White House to offer Ukrainians Priority-2 designation so that they will be able to permanently resettle in the United States after enduring the devastation of their country, families, and futures.
An estimated 3.6 million Ukrainian refugees have already fled Ukraine to seek protection in border states and beyond, and there are an estimated 6.5 million internally displaced Ukrainians still in the country. The U.S. has made a critical decision to open a pathway of lifesaving protection for 100,000 Ukrainians; IINE is proud to be a part of our country’s domestic response. At IINE, we are preparing to welcome Ukrainian men, women, and children.
IINE has resettled more than 543 individuals in the past six months, of which 488 are Afghan evacuees. We continue to respond to the call to provide local humanitarian response to some of the world’s most vulnerable people caught by war, violence, and persecution.
We applaud the Massachusetts legislature for their public statements encouraging the federal government to provide safe haven to Ukrainian refugees and for their decision to allocate $10 million in new funding for refugees arriving in the Commonwealth, including those fleeing the war in Ukraine.
The International Institute of New England (IINE) commends the Biden administration for designating Afghanistan for Temporary Protected Status (TPS) and allowing Afghans in the U.S. as of March 15, 2022 to apply for TPS. While the TPS designation is a step in the right direction, it still does not offer Afghan nationals living in the United States, including most of the 488 evacuees resettled by IINE in recent months, a path to a permanent immigration status in the United States.
As a further and necessary step, we recommit our call to Congress to pass an Afghan Adjustment Act, which will provide permanent protection to Afghan evacuees who were admitted to the United States as Humanitarian Parolees after standing by our troops and government for many years in Afghanistan. Evacuees resettling in the U.S. are starting new lives in our communities, and we owe it to them to make their immigration status here permanent. Furthermore, we continue to call on the administration to assist Afghans who supported the United States and are still in Afghanistan to find safety in the U.S.
Status: Exempt; Part-Time to Full-Time Available; Flexible Schedule; Hybrid Work Environment
Overview:
The Job Training Alliance (JTA) is an enthusiastic network of greater Boston community-based workforce development organizations. JTA utilizes the combined power of member agencies to maximize and advocate for employment opportunities for low-income residents through sustained funding for workforce development.
The new JTA Executive Director position, currently part-time with the potential to move to full- time, will be responsible for strengthening the alliance’s organizational infrastructure. The Executive Director proactively recruits new members, manages current members and memberships, networks with state and local legislators, and represents JTA with area stakeholders.
An ideal candidate for the JTA Executive Director position has deep and demonstrated expertise in job training; strong advocacy and leadership skills and experience; grant and contract development experience; is self-driven and can work independently; and will bring energy and drive to the work of supporting underserved, low-income communities. Candidates with the right attitude and passion, who may be less experienced in workforce development but are fast learners, are also encouraged to apply.
Qualifications:
BA in business development, education, or related field experience; MA a plus
Adult workforce development management experience
Legislative advocacy or community organizing experience
Foundation and public contract proposal and budgeting experience
Excellent interpersonal, organizational, and project management, agenda, and planning skills
Outstanding communication skills including meeting facilitation, written, verbal, and presentation skills
Solid administration skills: extremely well organized and detail oriented
Demonstrated cultural competency and attunement to working across languages and cultures
Ability to work in hybrid (both remote and in-person) environments and attend on-site meetings as necessary
Bi-lingual and bi-cultural experience a plus
Duties, Responsibilities, and First Year Goals:
Initiate a strategic planning process with a three-year time horizon
Identify and recruit 3 to 5 new or former agency members as paying members of the JTA
Create a formal structure for member communication, activities, meetings, and dues collection
Coordinate JTA’s response to industry and resource opportunities
Identify and develop funding proposals; manage funded contracts and grants
Create process to have all JTA member organizations complete the Job Quality Index
Oversee relationship with paid government relations firm
Explore formalization of the JTA (Incorporation, Request for 501c3 recognition)
Create a member advocacy agenda, activities, and schedule
Explore best practice training and education initiatives
JTA committed to creating a diverse workplace environment and encourages BIPOC (Black/Brown, Indigenous, and other People of Color) applicants to apply. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, or age.
To apply, please submit a cover letter and resume by email no later than March 30, 2022, to:
The International Institute of New England (IINE) has resettled a small number of Ukrainian refugees in recent years and is preparing with our communities to welcome more individuals and families should the U.S. government begin to accept refugees from Ukraine.
Currently, IINE provides legal services to Ukrainians in the U.S. who want to apply for Temporary Protected Status (TPS). For Ukrainians abroad fleeing their homeland, IINE’s immigration legal services team can assist with family-based cases, employment-based cases, or any other immigration benefit for which they are eligible. To set up an appointment with a member of our immigration legal services team, click here.
To provide immediate humanitarian support to Ukrainian refugees, we recommend the following organizations:
IsraAID US: IsraAID is providing psychological first aid and distributing essential relief supplies to Ukrainian refugees. IsraAID’s emergency response team has been in Moldova since February 27th, providing urgent relief for mothers and children at the border and in shelters around the country.
UNICEF USA: UNICEF’s Blue Dot centers are providing emergency support at strategic points along refugee transit routes out of Ukraine.
USA for UNHCR: During refugee crises, UNHCR rushes in expert staff and humanitarian aid, leading efforts to save lives and relieve suffering.
World Food Program USA: The United Nations World Food Program is on the ground right now providing critical food assistance for people fleeing the conflict.
At IINE, we have watched the Russian invasion of Ukraine in horror. Our work and our mission is in direct opposition to unjust acts of aggression that destroy democracy and human lives around the world. Russia’s invasion has already spawned a refugee crisis that will worsen as innocent Ukrainians continue to flee the country for their lives. We stand beside the 20,000 Ukrainian refugees welcomed in the US over the last decade alone—many to Massachusetts and New Hampshire and supported by IINE—and stand in solidarity with our Ukrainian community. If called upon, we are ready to provide welcome, refuge, and humanitarian support to those affected by this war.
This Spotlight Report focuses on refugee resettlement work, illustrating the impact of this program, which lies at the center of IINE’s mission. Future quarterly Spotlight Reports will zero in on other program areas that help refugees and immigrants to succeed, realize their dreams, and contribute to New England’s growth and prosperity.
Sokhary Chau, a Cambodian refugee who survived the Khmer Rouge’s genocide, has become the Mayor of Lowell, making him the first Cambodian-American mayor in the United States. Currently serving as a city councilor in Lowell, he was unanimously picked by his council peers to assume the top post on January 3, 2022. He also became the city’s first Asian American mayor.
“As a proud Cambodian American, I am standing on the shoulders of many immigrants who came before me to build this city,” Chau said at his inauguration.
For more than 100 years, IINE has welcomed newcomers to Lowell through refugee resettlement, adult education, immigration services and beyond.
“We are so inspired to see a refugee assume the city’s top post,” says Jeff Thielman, IINE’s CEO, “It speaks to how the investment in refugees and immigrants leads to a more vibrant, diverse, and forward-thinking community. We look forward to working with the new Mayor and welcoming newcomers to Lowell.”
Carlos was fifteen years old when he left Honduras on his own. Fleeing violence and seeking a better education, and medical treatment for an eye condition that left him partially blind, he was optimistic about a future in the U.S.
A lonely journey
After crossing the the U.S. border just beyond the Rio Grande, Carlos was arrested on entry and held for the night at a detention facility in Texas before being brought to a shelter for youth in Miami. Carlos remembers exactly how long he was at the shelter: 82 days. He missed his family in Honduras, and was frightened by the uncertainty of his future.
Carlos was in the middle of a soccer game at the detention facility when he was told he would be released to live with his aunt in New Jersey. He had not seen her in person since he was very young and only had pictures to remember her by, but he was very excited; finally, he would be starting his new life in America.
IINE’s Unaccompanied Children’s Program
Carlos as a teen, freshly arrived in New Jersey.
Since 2011, IINE has helped unaccompanied minor children by providing the support and resources they need to reunify with loved ones in the United States. IINE’s program delivers essential services to children and teenagers who are referred to us by the Office of Refugee Resettlement after they have been detained and sheltered by the U.S. government under federal policy guidelines.
Children like Carlos, who are apprehended at the southern border or in the course of an U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement raid, are placed into federal detention. Those who are able to reunify with family in New England are often referred to IINE as they are released into the care of a sponsor, usually a family member like Carlos’s aunt, while their legal status in the U.S. is clarified. In addition to certifying the safety and suitability of the U.S. sponsor’s home, IINE provides support to children and teens during this transition period by offering critical legal aid and linking the children and their sponsors to community resources.
IINE’s bilingual social workers advocate for each child as they navigate federal reunification guidelines, and are responsible for visiting the child in their new home in the U.S. IINE staff provide the reunited family with referrals to attorneys, schools, libraries, museums, health facilities, food banks, crisis hotlines, and other resources tailored both to the family’s local community and any needs or interests that may have been identified. Depending on the individual child’s situation, a case manager may also help develop a stress management plan, work out a family safety plan with both the child and the sponsor, and discuss family support strategies with the sponsor.
Sofie, a case specialist in IINE’s Unaccompanied Children’s Program, began working with Carlos’s aunt while he was still in Miami. She conducted a home assessment, interviewing everyone who would be living with him to ensure a safe environment.
Team Carlos
Carlos poses with his aunt at his high school graduation.
Carlos remembers struggling early on as an English language learner in his new high school. “I wanted to cry because I didn’t know anything or where to go. I was always scared I wouldn’t be able to talk to people or know how to respond to them.”
Fortunately, Sofie was there to advocate for Carlos’s needs. She helped Carlos with his coursework, encouraged him to join the swim team to make friends, and connected him to a community volunteer program where he was able to help children with special needs. She also helped set up legal appointments and manage medical care.
Carlos also had the support of his aunt, who affectionately calls him “Carlitos.” “He had a really good support system and example to follow, and she didn’t give up on him, and so he didn’t give up on himself,” Sofie says.
Despite her own literacy issues, his aunt organized a system to keep Carlos’s medical, legal, and educational papers carefully organized. She also dutifully brought him to the court dates to arrange his immigration status, ultimately helping Carlos to secure Special Immigrant Juvenile status.
Carlos, today
Carlos today, age 21, talks about his experiences on Zoom.
Now 21 years old, Carlos has graduated high school and supports himself with a manufacturing job. He’s cheerful and optimistic, is far more confident in English, and continues to learn. He also continues to dream. “I would like to see myself in five or six years as a nurse or a veterinarian,” Carlos says.
BOSTON, MA: Mass. Refugee Resettlement Agencies, the nonprofits tasked by the federal
government with welcoming and resettling hundreds of Afghan immigrants, praised the MA legislature
for including $12 Million to support Afghan arrivals in the final spending bill sent to Governor Baker’s
desk on Friday.
“We are incredibly grateful for our legislative champions, Speaker Ron Mariano, Senate President
Karen Spilka, and Ways and Means Chairs Aaron Michlewitz and Michael Rodrigues for continuing our
Commonwealth’s long history of welcoming refugees into Massachusetts” said Jeff Thielman,
President and CEO of the International Institute of New England. “The $12 Million allocated in the
supplemental state budget will provide critical support to those arriving from Afghanistan, often with
nothing more than the clothes on their back.”
U.S. and international coalition forces evacuated 124,000 people from Afghanistan in August, with
more than 95,000 of these individuals expected to resettle in the U.S. Hundreds of Afghan citizens
have already arrived in Massachusetts, and resettlement providers expect that more than 1,700
Afghans will settle in the Commonwealth by mid-February. Resettlement agencies contract with the
U.S. State Department to ensure that refugees experience a safe and effective transition to the United
States. Local agencies in the Commonwealth receive and distribute financial support from the federal
government to new arrivals and also rely on private donations. Federal and private support, however,
is not enough to fully meet the needs of Afghans and other displaced populations.
House Floor Division Leader Jim O’Day represents the city of Worcester and has been a long-time
supporter of Ascentria and their work. “I am thrilled to see the broad support in the House and the
Senate for the allocation of $12 Million in funding. This state support is critical to supplement federal
dollars and ensure that those arriving have wraparound services including housing, legal aid, childcare
and job training. The funding will have a tremendous impact on the resettling efforts for the Afghans
refugees in the city of Worcester. ”
While some federal funding has been allocated to support Afghan evacuees to Massachusetts and
other states, the Commonwealth’s high cost of housing and cost of living has posed a significant
challenge to the emergency resettlement of these individuals.
“I am proud of the inclusion of $12 million in aid for Afghan refugees in the House and Senate
spending bill” House Floor Division Leader Ruth Balser (D-Newton) who helped spearhead the state
funding request in the House, stated. “This aid will be crucial to successfully resettle Afghan
immigrants and ensure their safe passage to Massachusetts following their swift and urgent
evacuation from Afghanistan. I am proud that Massachusetts is stepping up to welcome these
refugees and making sure they integrate successfully into our community.”
The House and the Senate both included the $12 Million in their initial draft of the spending bill,
meaning no amendment was needed in either branch. Sen. John Velis (D-Westfield), a lead in
securing state funding in the Senate and a US Army Veteran himself, stated, “From my own time in
Afghanistan, I know how much our military forces have depended on Afghan citizens for our missions
over the last twenty years. Now those same individuals and their families are going to be relying on our
Commonwealth to support them. This funding is crucial to ensure that Afghan arrivals have access to
the services and resources they need and are able to integrate successfully into our communities. I
urge the Governor to swiftly sign the spending bill so this money can be leveraged as quickly as
possible.”
The state funding will be administered through the Office of Refugee and Immigrants (ORI) and will be
allocated both to individuals and resettlement agencies directly, as per the language in the final
spending bill.
Aimee Mitchell, Chief Community Services Officer at Ascentria Care Alliance underscored that in order
to ensure Afghan arrivals have adequate wraparound services, including childcare, transportation,
language access, and medical care, state funding is needed. “The federal and private funding we have
raised alone cannot adequately cover the support that these individuals will need in order to establish
themselves and be successful in Massachusetts. It is directly in line with the agencies’ mission and the
history of Massachusetts to help these individuals start a new, safe life here in Massachusetts.”
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Ascentria Care Alliance offers a continuum of community-based programs for refugees and immigrants in Massachusetts that aim to help new Americans achieve independence and stability. Visit www.ascentria.org to learn more about the refugee resettlement and unaccompanied minors programs.
The International Institute of New England creates opportunities for refugees and immigrants to succeed through resettlement, education, career advancement, and pathways to citizenship. Learn more at IINE.org.
Safeena came to Lowell, MA as a refugee from Afghanistan in 2017, with her husband, two young children, and another baby on the way. She knew there would be challenges ahead. “My parents were here, so I was a little bit confident,” she says, but she knew it would be difficult to adapt to a new culture.
When Safeena initially arrived, she and her husband and children were brought to her parents’ house, in Lowell. Then, Sabyne, Safeena’s IINE caseworker, took the lead in finding them an apartment near her parents. “It’s a very good home,” Safeena says.
The First Months
Learning about American holidays is part of cultural orientation.
During the first months in Lowell, Sabyne and the rest of the IINE team gave Safeena and her husband their first lessons in how to navigate life in America, helping them sign up for health insurance and food stamps, giving them direct cash assistance, and connecting them to a local organization that provided furniture and beds.
IINE also introduced Safeena to Early Intervention and Head Start programs. In Afghanistan, she had never encountered any information on child development: “Before… they are crying, you don’t know the answer, why they are crying.” A class on social emotional skills through the Early Intervention program helped. “Those are amazing courses,” notes Safeena.
Early Intervention was a vital resource for her son Mohammad Ghayoor, who was 3 years old when they arrived in Lowell, and her daughter Areesh, who was 1 year old. A home visitor would come twice a week to show Safeena how to enhance her children’s development through targeted playtime and vocabulary usage, helping her to learn to be “the first teacher for your child.”
Lowell has a large, close knit Afghan community, with many other recent arrivals looking out for newcomers. In the initial weeks and months in Lowell, other Afghan women in the community came to visit and welcome Safeena and her family, and invited them for lunches and dinners. Safeena’s husband joined a community group that meets weekly to play cricket and discuss the most urgent issues affecting the local Afghan diaspora.
Paying it Forward
Safeena’s youngest daughter was born not long after the family arrived in Lowell.
After she arrived, Safeena expected that it would be a while before she got her first job because she was pregnant, but IINE staff immediately noticed that she had excellent English skills and offered her a part-time position as an interpreter. She appreciated how flexible work with IINE was, and how understanding her colleagues were, allowing her to interpret by phone while she recovered from giving birth to her youngest daughter, Hareer.
Next, Safeena began providing childcare for other immigrants as they attended English classes, and then, worked for IINE as a receptionist. Finally, in March 2021, she was offered the position as the human resources coordinator in IINE’s Lowell office. “It’s amazing, working with IINE, I feel very happy,” she says.
Safeena is well equipped to help the new wave of Afghan evacuees arriving this fall, and she and other community members have met with public school representatives to make sure that the Afghan children entering Lowell public schools have the support they need, including English language classes and help adapting to American culture.[/fusion_text][/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]
Worcester, MA: Mass. Refugee Resettlement Agencies, the nonprofits tasked by the federal government with welcoming and resettling hundreds of Afghan immigrants, praised the inclusion of $12 million in the $3.65 billion House spending bill that draws from last year’s state budget surplus and over half of the American Rescue Plan funds. We are hopeful that the Senate will be equally supportive of this funding as the budget process moves forward.
Massachusetts is in the process of welcoming hundreds of Afghan citizens who were hastily evacuated from that country. Resettling refugees and providing the services that are needed to ensure their safe and effective transition to the United States is carried out by the Commonwealth’s refugee resettlement agencies with financial support from the federal government. However, in order to rapidly and effectively resettle the hundreds of individuals arriving to Mass. from Afghanistan, agencies have sought dedicated and robust funding from Massachusetts’ state government.
“We are incredibly grateful to Speaker Mariano, House Ways and Means Chair Michlewitz, and House Division Leaders Ruth Balser (D- Newton) and Jim O’Day (D- Worcester), who championed this request, for their collective commitment to welcoming these new immigrants to our Commonwealth,” said Jeff Thielman, President and CEO of the International Institute of New England (IINE).
Refugee resettlement agencies in Massachusetts have been extremely heartened by the outpouring of support from House and Senate leadership, the Governor, and the public at large for the effort to welcome Afghan evacuees to our Commonwealth.
While some federal funding has been allocated to support Afghan evacuees coming to Massachusetts and other states, our Commonwealth’s high cost of housing and cost of living has posed a significant challenge to the emergency resettlement of these individuals. The scarcity of affordable and available housing in many cities and towns is contributing to financially untenable situations for new arrivals.
“Individuals arriving in Massachusetts, especially those arriving quickly and as humanitarian parolees, need strong wraparound services, including housing, legal assistance, childcare, and job training,” said Aimee Mitchell, Chief of Community Services for Ascentria. Agency officials note that while there is some federal money that will come to the state to accompany these parolees, it is not nearly enough to cover the full cost needed to resettle them in any community in Massachusetts. “It goes to the very core of our mission and values to welcome and assist these individuals facing such hardship and danger in their native land, who hope to create a new life in our state and country,” added Mitchell.
As the Commonwealth faces a growing workforce shortage, new refugees and parolees are critical to filling the gaps. “These Afghan individuals arriving in Massachusetts will bring with them many skills, and with proper support and job training, will be able to successfully integrate into our job market, filling job vacancies that exist, and becoming increasingly self-sufficient,” said Jeff Thielman, President & CEO of IINE.
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The International Institute of New England creates opportunities for refugees and immigrants to succeed through resettlement, education, career advancement, and pathways to citizenship. Learn more at IINE.org.
