Latest news with #JewishFamilyServices
Yahoo
29-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Ramsey County: Nadir Abdi named deputy county manager of health, wellness
Ramsey County has named Nadir Abdi as deputy county manager of the health and wellness service team, with his role beginning July 14. Abdi will join the county's executive leadership team. His role includes implementing county board policies and advancing integrated services for residents. The search process for the position began in February. Abdi has more than two decades of experience in government administration, social policy, and community engagement and is currently Dakota County's director of employment and economic assistance, a role he has held since 2020. 'I'm passionate about delivering care with dignity and supporting the incredible staff who make that possible every day,' Abdi said in a statement. 'I am looking forward to working together with the team at Ramsey County to ensure community feels supported and valued when they need it most.' He held leadership positions at Equus Workforce Solutions, Jewish Family Services in Ohio and JP Morgan Chase. He earned a Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration from California State University, Los Angeles, and a Master of Management and Leadership from Hamline University. White Bear Lake's Music on the Lawn summer concert series returns Sunday Ex-volunteer with Ramsey County Sheriff's Office youth program gets probation for sexually abusing girl Alternatives to defunding: Who goes to help when police aren't needed? St. Paul faith-based nonprofit leader charged with possessing child pornography Ramsey County leaders remind residents: 'Safe gun storage saves lives'
Yahoo
08-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Jewish Family Services expands digital workplace program
COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — Jewish Family Services celebrated an expansion of their digital skills for the workplace program on Wednesday. The program helps train residents in the local community, teaching them important technical skills for free. They offer one-on-one digital coaching for older adults and beginner-level computer instruction. CEO Karen Mozenter explained now they can expand their services throughout central Ohio thanks to a $65,000 contribution from AT&T. 'We've had a multi-sector collaboration that's been working, really formed during the Pandemic, and has continued to work,'Mozenter said. 'We've been together for five years now and support like partners and funders like AT&T has been critical.' May 2025 primary election results for central Ohio The overall goal is to advance digital equity and support people in the community, giving them the opportunity to increase their chances for employment and productivity. 'I hope that people today will gain knowledge about the work that's already being done in the community and awareness that this is work that will never be done as technology evolves,' Mozenter said. 'Like right now we're adding A.I. Into the curriculum because we know that's essential, both for job skills and an essential way to use technology.' The group also wants to continue expanding this program in the future. For more information about this program, click here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to NBC4 WCMH-TV.
Yahoo
14-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Refugee Partnership fundraising deadline extended to Saturday
The Refugee Partnership of WNY extended its fundraising campaign deadline to midnight Saturday, having raised $1.19 million toward its $1.5 million goal. Lauren Maguire, vice president of development and community engagement for Jewish Family Services, said they extended the initial 30-day period because a number of community fundraisers are still ongoing. They wanted to give them enough time to make sure those donations counted. 'We're blown away by the community's support,' she added. The five organizations behind the fundraiser are Jewish Family Services of WNY, Catholic Charities of Buffalo, Journey's End Refugee Services, the International Institute of Buffalo, and Jericho Road Community Health Center. Funding will go toward supporting 731 refugees that arrived in WNY in the 90 days before the fundraiser started. Programming offered will help get them more acclimated to life in the United States. The refugees arrived from Asia, Africa, and the Middle East and had been vetted and screened more intensely than other immigrants. Of that number, 75 were settled in Niagara Falls. 'Some have waited decades in refugee camps for their turn to find safety and security in the U.S.,' Maguire said. The campaign was launched after the U.S. Department of State froze funds for the Reception and Placement program, which compensates refugee agencies for how many people they work with. The Trump Administration also suspended refugee acceptance back in January. These organizations went through layoffs due to cuts in federal funding. Maguire said they are focused on settling these 731 refugees and getting them on the path to self-sufficiency. They do not anticipate any changes in federal policy that would allow more refugees to come into the country. They are working with partners in state government to get more funding through the state's Enhanced Services to Refugees Program so they have the capacity to help those already in the region. '(Buffalo's) population grew in the last census due to refugees,' Maguire said, noting they have contributed to growing the region's economy and culture. On top of all the individual donations received, foundations and businesses that contributed include the Western New York Foundation, the Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo, M&T Bank, Health Foundation for Western and Central New York, Patrick P. Lee Foundation, and the Tower Foundation. Donations can still be made online through or by making checks payable to the Jewish Family Services of WNY.
Yahoo
24-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Colorado refugee resettlement agencies scramble for funding to help new arrivals
Attendees watch live music at the World Refugee Day celebration, put on by Colorado Refugee Connect, at Aurora City Center Park in Aurora on June 20, 2021. (Eli Imadali for Colorado Newsline) Resettlement service agencies in Colorado are left to search for their own funding to continue helping newly arrived refugees after an executive order President Donald Trump signed on his first day in office stopped their funding. Trump issued an executive order halting the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program, which allows people unable to return to their home country for fear of violence or persecution to legally reside in the U.S. after an extensive vetting process. He will decide based on a report from the secretary of state and the secretary of Homeland Security whether resuming the program 'would be in the interests of the United States' after 90 days. Jewish Family Services of Colorado has offered refugee resettlement services over the last four years. Jessica Zeidman, chief advancement officer at JFS, said last year, her organization helped 190 refugees resettle in Colorado, and they had signed a contract with the federal government to help 175 more people this year. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX After the November election, Zeidman said the organization anticipated changes to the refugee program and looked to the thresholds Trump imposed in his first term to help them prepare, but 'were not expecting him to close it completely.' The president proposes annual thresholds that limit how many refugees will be permitted in the country, which need to be approved by Congress. The organization quickly mobilized to 'bring in as many refugees as we could' ahead of Jan. 20. Between Oct. 15 and Jan. 15, Jewish Family Services resettled 137 people in Colorado, more than double the typical number of 60 people they would help during that time. Zeidman said her team was at the airport on New Year's Day picking up families. That included people from Afghanistan, Sudan, Iraq, Venezuela, Burma, Syria, Columbia and the Democratic Republic of Congo. The stop work order included in Trump's executive order has been 'the most detrimental,' Zeidman said. That action voided the contract HIAS, the parent organization overseeing refugee resettlement at Jewish Family Services, had with the Department of State to provide money to refugees during their first 90 days in the U.S. Zeidman said federal funding made up about 60% of the JFS budget for refugee resettlement. 'Every individual, that includes babies, they are promised this money, and with the stop work order, that money has all disappeared,' Zeidman said. 'So even families that we brought in on Jan. 19 to resettle here in Colorado are not getting the funds that they've been promised.' Rhossy Ouanzin, development and communications manager at the African Community Center of Denver, said his organization helps refugees in their first 90 days adapt to American culture and find a job, but they will help any of their clients for up to five years after they arrive. The center previously received funding through the reception and placement program, but with no federal funding so far this year, the organization had to layoff a couple of staff members who have worked with the center for years. Ouanzin said African Community Center has worked to build and maintain its capacity to help more refugees for years, and he's concerned that additional cuts could lead to more layoffs and a reduced capacity. The organization had already raised private donations to help refugees once their first 90 days of sponsorship by the federal government ended, but Ouanzin said the community has stepped up with donations to help those still within their first 90 days too. 'We have the moral obligation of serving and helping the people who are here, because if we don't do it and we let them go, then there's nobody else to help them,' Ouanzin said. The African Community Center helped about 1,300 refugees resettle in 2021 and 2022, 1,252 refugees in 2023, and 1,375 refugees in 2024. The five countries the center helped the most people from last year were Cuba, Afghanistan, Ukraine, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Haiti. Ouanzin said it's hard to gauge how many refugees the organization will help this year, because they don't know how long the resettlement and placement program will be suspended. Refugees who have arrived most recently are the most vulnerable, said Dona Dalton, marketing and communications manager at Lutheran Family Services Rocky Mountains, because they have the least familiarity with their communities and have not developed a foundation. 'They are losing valuable support for housing and basic needs,' she said in a statement. 'In addition, those that were already screened and approved to come to the U.S., including 294 scheduled to LFSRM locations, have been abruptly left in limbo as well as refugees already in the U.S. waiting for loved ones to join them.' Zeidman said the stop work order has led to 'a lot of turmoil' at Jewish Family Services, including budget crunching, ongoing conversations with other agencies, and fear among staff for both their job security and their clients' wellbeing. She said the organization is 'committed to raising private funds' to continue to support its staff and clients. 'There's a barrage of executive orders and news every day, and so we're just advising our staff to keep doing the good work and let leadership focus on the funding and the political fallout, but keep supporting your clients,' she said. The Colorado Refugee Services Program in the Office of New Americans has been helpful in ensuring none of the Colorado agencies have had to close, Zeidman said, and the state continues to provide funding where it can. A spokesperson for the Colorado Refugee Services Program said in a statement that it will continue to support refugee integration into Colorado and that it is closely tracking federal changes to keep service providers up to date. Dalton said Lutheran Family Services Rocky Mountains is learning to navigate the rapidly changing landscape of the refugee program and 'respond to each change as quickly as possible, while not losing sight of our responsibility to our clients, staff, and communities.' The organization has helped resettle refugees from Ethiopia, Bhutan, Russia, Democratic Republic of Congo, Burundi, Eritrea, Somalia, Mauritania, Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, Liberia, Bosnia, Cuba, Burma and Ukraine, among others. Dalton said the organization is working with community partners to determine how to maintain services affected by changes at the federal level. JFS has offered a refugee mental health program for over 30 years. Zeidman said it typically takes a refugee about two years to start to work through the trauma they experienced in their home countries. But recently, even though they have legal status and went through a years-long process to be in the U.S., many refugees are fearful they could be deported given news of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids. 'They are eligible to be here. They are amongst the most vetted individuals that arrive in our country,' Zeidman said. 'It's a lot of counseling and making sure they know their rights and their paperwork.' Zeidman said Jewish Family Services will continue to work with other resettlement agencies, the state, and its parent organization to advocate the reception and placement orders be reinstated. The International Rescue Committee, the fourth refugee resettlement provider in Colorado, declined to comment given the sensitivity of the situation. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
08-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Local refugee agencies launch Crisis Response Fund
BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — In light of the Trump administration's funding freeze on refugee resettlement organizations across the country, local groups are looking for ways to bridge their funding gap. Local refugee organizations have announced the launch of a Crisis Response Fund to help care for 731 refugees who have come to the Buffalo area in the last 90 days. The goal is to raise $1.5 million over the next month. The money would go to basic needs such as housing, job placement and food, and getting refugee children into schools. Like many other agencies across the country, local refugee organizations say they felt blindsided when federal funding was pulled last month as the Trump administration assesses where that money is going. 'The federal government made a promise and they broke that promise,' said Jennifer Rizzo-Choi with executive director of International Institute of Buffalo. 'The State Department promised these refugee families 90 days in support, not just in funds to pay for food and rent, but also in a case manager who would be their guide star.' Organizations involved include Catholic Charities, the International Institute, Jericho Road, Jewish Family Services, and Journey's End. Along with raising funds, local officials are also raising awareness of heightened offensive rhetoric. 'I want to lean in on this because there's a lot of negative rhetoric, quite frankly, racist rhetoric around a lot of things that are happening and all the people we're talking about have legal status to be in the United States,' said Dottie Gallagher, president & CEO of the Buffalo Niagara Partnership. The Trump administration has also put on pause the admission of refugees into the country and it is unknown when that will change. The pulling of federal funding has resulted in some of the refugee organizations cutting jobs — Jewish Family Services has slashed 15 positions. Journey's End has laid off 21 workers and employees have taken a 20 percent pay cut. The organizations also say they're facing a massive money shortfall from New York state. This is the second time this fund has been launched. The first time was when hundreds of Afghan refugees came to the area during Covid. If you're interested in donating, you can go to Jeff Preval is an award-winning anchor and reporter who joined the News 4 team in December 2021. See more of his work here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
