As the month comes to an end, we want to highlight that June is National Immigrant Heritage Month. Here at Presente, the immigrant community is always in focus, but we wanted to put together a small resource packet for immigrants and the Pittsburgh community alike to end National Immigrant Heritage Month with a conversation on ways to help year-round. This year, we are focusing on the Jewish Family and Community Services (JFCS) Refugee and Immigrant Services.
JFCS Refugee and Immigrant Services Program
JFCS has a number of resources that they provide within their Refugee and Immigrant Services program. Broken down below, Presente highlights the services and ways that the local community can get involved.
Refugee Resettlement: JFCS helps to support refugee resettlement via a registry on their website. Individuals can donate money and gift cards for Amazon, Walmart, and Giant Eagle, which then go towards helping refugees settle into their new communities.
Stronger Together: Helping refugees and immigrant individuals and families find job opportunities is a big part of JFCS’s refugee and immigrant program. The coordinators at JFCS work with individuals to evaluate job skills, interests, and past work experience to find opportunities and employment areas that may be a good fit. They provide employment counselors, translators, transportation to interviews, resume assistance, and more. Their Career Development Center also provides further training, as well as pre and post employment opportunities for success in the workplace.
To get in contact about employment opportunities: Michelle Tecza, Refugee Intake Coordinator | 412.904.5968 | mtecza@jfcspgh.org.
Helping New Neighbors Succeed: Welcoming new neighbors to Pittsburgh is a big part of the JFCS’s work, and local sponsors in the community are always welcome to be involved! Opportunities to help welcome, house, and sponsor are detailed by the JFSC here.
To get in contact to help refugees and immigrants with housing: Ivonne Smith-Tapia at ismithtapia@jfcspgh.org.
For more information, and ways to get involved including volunteering, donating, in-kind gifts, and other ways to help, visit https://www.jfcspgh.org/how-you-can-help/.
Interested in reading more about JFCS’s immigrant success stories? Check out their Stories of Hope at https://www.jfcspgh.org/refugee-immigrant-services-story-hope/.
