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| Helping Immigrants and Refugees |
Education
English language and
literacy skills are critical for immigrants and refugees who
want to integrate into their new society, work, and obtain
U.S. citizenship. IIB provides quality Literacy and English to
Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) instruction to refugees and
immigrants. Every year, nearly 400 students enroll in our
classes. Others receive one-on-one tutoring with trained
volunteers. We also have a special component for adults who
are either not literate in their native languages or who come
from countries with non-Roman alphabets. All students have
access to a 20-station computer lab with software designed to
supplement classroom instruction.
Learn more
Resettlement
The refugees and
asylum seekers served by the IIB resettlement department come
from war-torn countries and are no longer able to safely live
in their homelands. Our resettlement team meets incoming
refugee families at Logan Airport, rents and furnishes their
first apartment in the Boston area, and arranges for them to
access IIB’s employment services, language classes, counseling
services, and legal services. Our bilingual, bicultural case
managers help clients to access medical care, enroll their
children into school, and orient to American systems.
Learn more
Employment and
Training Services
IIB’s employment and training
department assists immigrants and refugees from around the
world to obtain and sustain gainful employment and to advance
their careers. Employment counselors accompany clients on
interviews, provide work orientation classes, and mentor
clients during their first few months on the job. Every year,
up to 500 clients receive job counseling, training and
placement through IIB Employment Services.
The IIB
employment department also provides over 500 local employers
with cultural information that enhances their ability to
effectively integrate a diverse workforce. Representatives
from various industries comprise our Employer Advisory
Council, which meets regularly to exchange ideas with our
staff.
Learn more
Legal
services
After fleeing war, political
repression, torture, or other horrors in their home countries,
many immigrants and refugees find themselves at risk in the
United States because they do not understand the legal system,
lack money to hire competent lawyers, and are bombarded on all
sides by erroneous information. The need for legal services in
the area of immigration and asylum has grown tremendously in
recent years, and last year alone, IIB's legal department
served over 3,000 immigrants and refugees.
Learn more
Social
Services
Many of the clients who are served by
the IIB social service department have lived through traumatic
events; some have experienced torture. Others have seen family
members killed or threatened. Some have been separated from
their families, stalked, denied medical care, experienced the
loss of their home or business or intimidated by a government.
The social services department and its nationally recognized
International Survivors Center helps refugees and immigrants
who are survivors of these acts of hatred, as well as domestic
violence, to heal and obtain a meaningful quality of life with
a restored sense of personal security.
Learn more
Economic
Development
IIB’s economic development
department helps immigrants and refugees to fulfill their
financial goals and strengthen long-term, multi-generational
self-sufficiency. Clients can participate in a matched savings
program that enables them to save for a home, car, educational
expense, or computer. They can also receive small business
counseling. IIB also offers first time home-buyer classes in
English, Cantonese, Haitian Creole, and Cape Verdean.
Learn more
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