Neighbors Link, a non-profit center serving the immigrant community in Mount Kisco, N.Y., recently opened an affiliate in Stamford.
The center, headed by Executive Director Catalina Horak, opened June 12 and began serving the city where more than a third of the residents are foreign-born.
Neighbors Link Stamford offers adult English as Second Language (ESL) classes and job-training services including computer classes. The center, staffed almost entirely by volunteers, also hopes to be the point of entry that helps immigrants find other necessary help and services in the area.
There are many services available to the immigrant community throughout the greater Stamford area ”“ in Greenwich and Darien and other areas around the city, Horak noted. “But there is no one point of entry. There is no one community center where people who don”™t know how to navigate the system can go ask questions,” she said.
Educate, empower and employ
Horak has been working in immigrant advocacy for decades, serving on the board of directors of Neighbors Link in Mount Kisco. She is also former chairperson of the board.
“People have been calling us for social services as well as for general questions about immigration and citizenship issues. So we refer them to the right agencies. I mean, we knew there was a need for a center like this in Stamford, based on what we had found from our research. The last three weeks have shown that people are very happy with us because there was a big need for a center like this.”
Horak, who was born in Colombia and immigrated to the U.S. in 1981, said the center will provide services to educate, empower and employ immigrants. “And overall, to help integrate recent immigrants into our community,” she said.
“We have worked together with volunteers and individuals for almost two years to get to this point. It took a long time to get to where we are right now.”
Neighbors Link Stamford offers free ESL classes that are taught in a variety of formats and are conveniently scheduled. “We have group lessons, individual tutoring lessons, conversation groups. We have classes during the day and in the evening. Without English language skills, you are not going to be able to get good jobs,” Horak said.
The center offers free computer classes three days a week, with more classes to be introduced over time. Later this summer, it will also start offering other job-training classes, she added. “We are going to do a series of workshops to provide additional job skills in all kinds of areas, from construction skills to how to maintain and clean houses in an environmentally friendly way, to more sophisticated skills like advanced computer skills and small-business management.
“If we hear from local businesses what their needs are in terms of skills development for employees, we will develop programs ”¦ (for) those specific skills so that we can help make immigrants more marketable. We want to hear from employers, so that we can adjust our programs to make sure that they are fulfilling the needs from a business point of view.”
It is estimated that 37 percent of the Stamford population is foreign-born. Of that 37 percent, 70 percent is of Hispanic heritage. Since its opening, ESL classes have already been filled with dozens of recent immigrants who want to improve English skills, Horak said.
Wonderful idea! A community center serving immigrants is desperately needed in Stamford. Congratulations, best wishes and good luckto all involved!