February 2016 News
Attorney General Maura Healey to speak at
IIIC Business Leaders Breakfast April 28
Don't miss the Irish International Immigrant Center's 7th annual Business Leaders Breakfast.
Our featured speaker this year is Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey. The Attorney
General recently celebrated her first anniversary in office with these words, "I love my job! I get
excited every time I walk into our office, every time I sit with my team to tackle big issues, every time I
am in the community and with the people who make this state the most amazing place to live, work
and raise our families."
Since taking office, Attorney General Healey has tackled issues touching the lives of residents across
Massachusetts. Her office has assisted with the rollout of several policy initiatives that the Center has
supported, including the Earned Sick Time Law, Domestic Workers’ Bill of Rights, and the reduction of
healthcare and student loan costs. Healey is an advocate for a more equal and inclusive workplace and
as a civil rights attorney, is committed to ensuring that all residents are treated fairly.
Join us for an engaging discussion on immigration, the economy and other issues facing
Massachusetts and the United States.
Please consider sponsoring the Breakfast in support of the immigration legal services, wellness and
education offerings the Center provides to nearly 3,000 low-income immigrant and refugee families from
over 120 nations. Your support also enables us to help over 375 young Irish men and women who
come to the United States each year on our J1 internship program.
The Breakfast is very popular and sells-out fast. Purchase your tickets here! and check-out our
website for more information.
Racing a deadline to bring a family together
At the IIIC, we know how important family is, and
through our work, we bring families together.
Brother and sister Petrit and Fatbardha know first
hand. They had moved from Albania to the U.S.
many years before we met them. Having built a
life as U.S. citizens, they missed one important
thing – family. After their parents, and Petrit’s
wife and daughter joined Petrit and Fatbardha in
the U.S., brothers Lavdimir
and Mane, who had already waited 12 years for visas, along with their wives and children, were eager to
join the rest of the family.
Our legal team worked with Fatbardha to collect and prepare the many documents and forms required
to bring her brothers and their wives and children to the U.S. Time was of the essence. Mane’s
daughter, Griselda, would soon turn 21 and would “age out”. She would no longer be eligible for a visa
and would be left behind in Albania when the rest of her family emigrated.
Managing attorney Jeannie Kain pushed the case along, responding quickly to the Consulate’s requests
for more documentation after the family had their visa interview in Albania. Then, for her 21st birthday,
Griselda truly had something to celebrate. Just weeks before she would have aged out, Griselda was
issued her visa and entered the U.S. The rest of the family followed a month later.
Fatbardha and Petrit are thrilled to have their family together again after many years of being apart. We
at the IIIC are happy to have helped their journey.
Pictured are Mimoza, Lavdimir and Evelina Ajdini, Fatbardha Zyba, Mane and Petrit Ajdini with
Managing Attorney Jeannie Kain and Deputy Director Janey Tallarida.
Advocating and collaborating for better care
Martin has been a dear friend of the IIIC for a long time. Our staff have accompanied him through the
legal complexities of being an undocumented immigrant, the wellness challenges of living so far from
his Irish home, and the medical difficulties of living with Huntington’s disease.
During the last few months of 2015, the IIIC’s Wellness team sought to provide Martin with better health
insurance. They collaborated with Senator Warren’s office, Health Law Advocates, and the IIIC’s own
Immigration Legal Services department. With their recommendations, Wellness staff decided that
Martin’s best bet was to change his immigration status.
ILS helped Martin apply for deferred status, based on his compelling health situation. Martin aced the
interview, which convinced Mass Health to change his immigration status. Wellness staff were then
able to update Martin’s insurance! He now receives much better medical benefits.
IIIC's AmeriCorps member launches her career by starting others'
When people enroll in our classes at the IIIC, they become more than just
names on an attendance sheet. Students are a part of our community.
Just ask Hannah Deegan, an AmeriCorps member at the Center. Hannah
teaches English for Speakers of Other Languages classes at the Center.
Outside of the classroom, she assists her students with more than just
grammar. Hannah’s goal is to help them achieve their dreams.
One woman taking Hannah’s class shared that she had always hoped to
enter the financial field. Hannah met one-on-one to help her create a
professional resume. She encouraged the student to apply to a training
program in banking and finance at the Asian American Civic Association.
Soon after, the student was accepted to the program. She now has the
opportunity to learn a new skill, and a resume to assist with her future job
search. Thanks to Hannah’s dedication, her student will soon be able to find a job she loves.
The IIIC's Volunteer Program invests in the future by developing dedicated leaders and passionate
change agents. If you're interested in joining this team, contact Ann-Marie Byrne
at [email protected].
New Faces in Immigration Legal Services
The IIIC is delighted to welcome our newest Immigration Attorney, Sarah Schendel, to our legal
services team. Sarah will visit Rosie's Place each week, helping their guests from other parts of the
world navigate immigration law here in the U.S.
We are also thrilled to welcome Cristina Dacchille Freeman, who will lead a new immigration legal
services project with undocumented, homeless, Boston Public Schools students. We are hoping to
expand this work into Greater Boston.
Giving Irish students life-changing opportunities
The IIIC helps Irish graduates find paid, one-year internships in the United
States. If your place of employment has openings and would like to
engage talented young people like Sarah please contact Paul Pelan.
Sarah Connor, of Delgany, County Wicklow, came to Boston after finishing her
Master’s degree in Molecular Medicine at Trinity College, Dublin. Sarah had long
dreamed of living in the United States and was eager to advance her career in
the pharmaceutical industry.
After arriving in Boston, Sarah came to the Center and connected with the IIIC’s Director of Intern
Placements to discuss her job search. With a bright new resume and a handful of valuable new
contacts, Sarah was optimistic about finding work.
Sarah networked extensively in her job search and as the months wore on, Sarah’s unemployment did
not dampen her spirit. Finally, after months of perseverance, Sarah was offered a position in a research
lab at Brigham and Women’s Hospital.
Her work involves doing research in neurodegenerative medicine, and will no doubt make her resume
stand out from the rest when she returns to Ireland.
Thanks to the opportunities presented by the IIIC staff and her own drive and optimism, Sarah will
flourish in her role at Brigham and Women’s and in her career for the years to come.
Learning to speak Irish at the IIIC
We had a full house at the Center's first Irish Language class! Thanks to Cumann na Gaeilge i mBoston
for partnering with us to offer this unique opportunity. If you didn't sign up for this course, don't worry!
Due to its overwhelming popularity, we will offer the class again this spring.
Calendar of Events
February 9
Smoking Cessation Support Group
6:30 PM - 7:30 pm
Brighton, MA
February 22
Suicide Prevention Community Workshop
3:00 PM - 5:00 pm
The Burren
Somerville, MA
February 29
Anonymous People Film Screening
6:00 PM - 8:30 pm
Brighton, MA
March 6
Black and Green 2016
2:00 PM - 5:00PM
Hibernian Hall
184 Dudley St.
Boston, MA 02119
Please join us for our 22nd annual celebration of culture and community! Come by for an afternoon
devoted to building our modern Boston community through remembering the 1768 Montserrat St.
Patrick's Day Uprising and the 1916 Irish Easter Rising. Divided by over a century of time and miles of
ocean, these stories may seem disconnected, but our artistic presentations will inspire reflection on
how social justice movements from the past can create unique friendships and energize communities
today.
Please contact Sarah Chapple-Sokol at [email protected] or 617-542-7654, ext. 36 with questions.
RSVP here!
March 20
Taste of Ireland
1:00 PM - 4:00 pm
Cape Cod, MA
March 21
Legal Clinic at The Burren
6:00 PM - 8:00 pm
Somerville, MA
March
Computer Skills Classes
Thursdays, 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM
In this 10 week class, students learn basic computer skills, including creating an email address,
searching the web, and basics of Microsoft Word and Excel. Interested students should contact Sarah
Chapple-Sokol at [email protected] or 617-542-7654, ext. 36.
April 7
Home Care Skills Class Begins
6:00 PM - 9:00 pm
Boston, MA
Spring
Irish Language Classes
In partnership with Cumann na Gaeilge i mBoston, the IIIC is offering a chance to learn Gaelic / Irish at
the IIIC this spring. Stay tuned for details.
Spring
Citizenship Classes
Thursdays, 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM
The Naturalization Exam can be daunting, which is why the IIIC offers a class to help students feel
fully prepared to become American citizens. We still have spots available in this class! Contact Sarah
Chapple-Sokol at 617-542-7654 extension 36 or [email protected] for more information.
Ways to Get Involved
Make a Gift to the IIIC
Double the impact of your gift
Find out if your company will match your gift to the IIIC.
Purchase your tickets to the Business Leaders Breakfast here!
Follow the Irish International Immigrant Center
Follow the Irish International Immigrant Center
The Irish International Immigrant Center assists immigrants from Ireland and from around the world as they integrate into
American society, and with partner organizations, promotes reconciliation in Ireland. We are a vibrant welcome center that
provides legal, wellness, and education services, advocates for systemic change, and facilitates cross-cultural community
building.
The IIIC is a 501(c)(3) non-profit. All donations are tax-deductible.
www.iiicenter.org | 100 Franklin Street, LL-1, Boston, MA 02110 | (617) 542-7654
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