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Welcome to Rian Immigrant Center’s March Newsletter.


Our hearts are heavy as we watch the ongoing violence in Ukraine, Somalia, Syria and Yemen. War is never the answer. We stand in solidarity with the individuals who have been affected.


Our Center is available for those in need of immigration and support services at this time. Please call (617) 542-7654





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Rian Partners With The Edward M. Kennedy Institute
Civic Series: Shaping Voting Rights
March 2 | 6pm ET


We are delighted to invite you to “Shaping Voting Rights Legislation” in collaboration with the Edward M. Kennedy Institute, the Irish Consulate and the Irish Network Boston. The program features an interactive simulated U.S. Senate session and a live floor debate on an actual piece of legislation pending before the Senate. Participants learn about voting rights from multiple perspectives, share their own ideas, and cast their votes.


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We are able to offer these events thanks to generous support from the Irish Government’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Emigrant Support Programme.


For more information, please contact Ann-Marie Byrne at [email protected]





Rian Partners With The Brookline Booksmith to Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day

To celebrate St Patrick's Day the Irish poet and playwright Damian Gorman gives a live reading from his acclaimed selected poems and memoir "As If I Cared" accompanied by live music from harpist Regina Delaney and uilleann piper Frank Gibbons, hosted by Ronnie Millar and Laura Tavares.


Throughout March, the Brookline Booksmith will feature collections of Irish literature and also migrant stories as part of their Transnational Literature Series in support of Rian’s mission. The Booksmith will accept donations in the store to support the vital work of Rian Immigrant Center. Stop by the bookstore and show your support!



Thursday, March 17 11:45 - 1:00pm EST/ 4:45PM GMT


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On March 3rd, join the virtual discussion on how small-town communities are addressing social issues. Our Executive Director, Ronnie Millar, is joining an incredible group of individuals on the panel. Learn more and watch the session on World Channel's Twitter page or by clicking the icon below.



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Providing Support in Uncertain Times


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Our Resource and Support Services team (shown above) has been busy providing counseling and support services to members of our community.


As part of their continued community outreach, RSS is offering a virtual Immigrant Women's Support Group. For more information, please contact


Sarah Bayer
(617)714-0999
or
Victoria DiCanni
(617)446-6726



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Learning Exchange Program Relaunches Exchange Visitor Internship Program



We are excited to resume our J-1 visa cultural exchange and internship program and have begun processing J-1 visa applications from Irish students and graduates since the US lifted its international travel ban. Twenty Exchange Visitors have already arrived in the United States including Ewa Gillan who you can read about below!


These Exchange Visitors are excited to spend a year learning about culture in the US, and gaining skills in paid internships in their area of study. With more than 100 applications in hand, we expect to welcome many Irish J-1 Exchange Visitors to the U.S. just in time for warm weather here in Boston!




Read about Ewa's J-1 Journey Here [[link removed]]




Want to host an intern?
If your business needs interns over the coming year, whether for a project or extra help, let us know and we can send you some great resumes!


Contact Ellie Carver


Email Ellie [[email protected]]




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Immigration Legal Services Expands in Healthcare and K-12 Education



Building on our long time partnership with Boston Medical Center and Health Law Advocates, Rian is expanding its medical-legal partnerships to include Dana Farber Cancer Institute and Boston Healthcare for the Homeless. Providing immigration legal services to immigrant patients can relieve stress, enable them to access better health care, and ultimately lead to better health outcomes.



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With support from the Nellie Mae Education Foundation, we have launched the Legal Aid for 5DP Immigrant Youth Project to empower immigrant students and educators by providing immigration legal services and increasing awareness on how immigration policy affects students’ lives. This is an expansion of our youth work in Boston, Cambridge, and Somerville. The project will focus on Revere, Chelsea, Everett, Malden, and Winthrop, and will amplify the voices of immigrant students as they work for change within their schools and communities.


We are also grateful to the Massachusetts Immigration Legal Assistance Fund for extending funding for an additional two years! This funding will enable our organization to continue to respond to persistent unmet legal needs among vulnerable immigrant and refugee populations in the Commonwealth.


Finally, congratulations to new dad Tony Marino who is on parental leave for three months to spend time with baby Gabriel. In his new role as "Director of Legal Counsel," Tony looks forward to focusing on immigration policy, local legislation including the Safe Communities Act and Work & Family Mobility Act and how they impact the immigrants and families we serve.





Spring Education Classes Begin


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Spring semester has begun! 67 students have enrolled in English for Speakers of Other Languages courses (including 4 husband-wife couples). We are pleased to be continuing our Chromebook loan program with the support of the Arbella Insurance Foundation. This is our second semester using the Ventures textbook series from Cambridge University Press and our instructors and students love them! We wish much success to all our ESOL students, Citizenship students, and those working toward educational and employment goals in our Individual Achievement Program.








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Advocating for a Welcoming Massachusetts: Work & Family Mobility Act & Safe Communities Act



After 20 years of community advocacy for drivers licenses for all regardless of immigration status, major progress has been made recently led by the Driving Families Forward coalition, The Work & Family Mobility Act was reported favorably out of the Transportation Committee. The Act would increase stability and opportunities for our immigrant community who need to get themselves and family members safely to work, school and to complete daily tasks. Join us in demanding equitable protections and opportunities for immigrants by calling your State Senator and urge them to vote "Yes" on the Work and Family Mobility Act


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Rian is also advocating for the Safe Communities Act which would end the Commonwealth’s voluntary involvement in civil immigration matters, protect basic rights, and encourage immigrant residents to confidently seek help and medical care without fear of immigration consequences.



The Massachusetts Immigrant Collaborative Focuses on Pandemic Recovery

As fiscal sponsor of the Collaborative, Rian continues our community leadership in supporting immigrant families most impacted by the pandemic. We are very grateful to the Klarman Family Foundation, the Fish Family Foundation, the Boston Foundation, the Cambridge Community Foundation, the City of Boston and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts for recent funding support for emergency cash and food assistance, and for providing critical immigration and recovery services to immigrant families.


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Rian's beloved Director of Finance is Retiring




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After 20 years serving as Rian’s Director of Finance, Gjergji Cani is retiring. All of us at Rian are so grateful to Gjergji for his keen financial oversight, his behind the scenes dedication, and his commitment to our mission and vision. We deeply appreciate his leadership in the fiscal sponsorship of the Massachusetts Immigrant Collaborative. We will miss him, and wish him and his family much happiness. May the road rise up to meet you dear friend. Rian is delighted to welcome Pranathi Kesireddy as our new Director of Finance. Welcome Pranathi!







Welcome to our new staff!




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Pranathi Kesireddy
Director of Finance



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Cristina Aguilera Sandoval
Program Consultant



We're Hiring!


Do you want to make a difference in the lives of immigrants and refugees from across the Commonwealth? Are you passionate about social justice, equity and creating a sense of belonging? Do you want a flexible work schedule with remote work options? Join us!




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We would love to learn more about you and why you care about Rian’s work and the immigrant community. If you could take a moment to fill out our 3-minute survey we would greatly appreciate it.


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Rian Immigrant Center, One State Street, Boston, MA 02109, United States

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