February 2005 e-update
IRC New York Resettlement
New York Resettlement Office | International Rescue Committee | 122 East 42nd Street, 12th Floor | New York,
NY 10168
www.theIRC.org/NewYork
Many thanks to the more than 100 volunteers who worked with IRC New York
in 2004. Collectively, you provided over 5,169 hours in service hours to
refugees in New York and New Jersey.
PUBLIC EVENTS
IRC New York Open House
Celebrating Women
PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS
Free tax preparation
IRC youth commemorate MLK, Jr. Day
IRC New York receives some favorable press
Literacy for Life classes to resume this month
Tribeca film makes generous merchandise donation to IRC New York
Imagining great performances: Refugee youth visit PS 122
Gift wrap with us
PUBLIC EVENTS
IRC NEW YORK OPEN HOUSE
On Tuesday, February 15th, please join us at 6pm to learn about IRC New York and shortterm volunteer opportunities and to meet some of the refugees we serve. Staff, volunteers,
and clients will share information about IRC’s work in New York and New Jersey. We will
also share information about volunteering for job skills workshops, tutoring, donations
drives, mentoring, and other opportunities. Please RSVP to 212.551.0950.
CELEBRATING WOMEN
Please join us on Tuesday, March 8, at 6pm for “Extraordinary achievements: Cuban
refugees honor International Women's Day.” Three refugee women will discuss the Cuban
refugee program, the “extraordinary” achievements that Cuban women are making in our
local communities, and their personal resettlement stories. To attend, call 212.551.0950.
PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS
FREE TAX PREPARATION
Two weeks ago, Samuel* approached the desk I was sitting at, beamed, and pulled a W-2 out
of his bag. He wasn’t sure what to do with it, but he knew that it meant that he had worked
hard all year. This was a proud moment for me, because Samuel was the first refugee I
worked with at IRC – back in March, I helped him write his resume and prepare for his first
job interview. I went with him to one of our partner organizations, where he was fitted for a
new, three piece suit. After he got the job, I talked to him about how to figure out his shoe
size, so that he could purchase a pair of waterproof work boots. Over the past months, we’ve
talked about job retention, conflict resolution, and how he can continue to attend classes
while working full time.
Like many refugees who are unfamiliar with the US economy, Samuel has worked hard to
navigate subway transfers, grocery stores, crowded streets, and kitchen appliances.
Determining the value of food stamps, calculating relationships between bills and loose
change, making rent payments, and turning paychecks into usable currency have been
daunting. W-2’s, of course, pose challenges as well.
Starting next month, IRC New York will offer Samuel and other refugees who were employed
in 2004 with free tax preparation assistance – many refugees will be eligible for the earned
income tax credit (a refundable tax credit of up to $5805) the child tax credit (worth up to
$1000), and other refunds. Staff and volunteers will reach out to recently resettled refugees
about tax credits they can apply for, prepare their returns during drop in hours, and e-file the
returns with the IRS. We’ll also be providing basic information about budgeting, banking
while refugees wait to have their returns filed. This service is made possible, in part, through
the support of American Express employees.
We are looking for volunteers who are certified to prepare tax returns, as well as volunteers
to assist with intake. If you are interested in getting involved, call 212.551.0950.
-- Composed by an IRC New York volunteer
IRC YOUTH COMMEMORATE MLK JR DAY
On Monday, January 17, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, high school students from the IRC New
York youth program spent the day at a youth conference on non-violence. “Visions of Peace:
From Indifference to Making a Difference” was sponsored by the Temple of Understanding
and Soka Gakkai International-USA. It included speakers, workshops, and entertainment,
all focused on the topic of non-violence. IRC New York youth program members contributed
by offering a workshop for their peers. During the workshop, the youth screened a
documentary film produced by refugee youth resettled by IRC. Following the film, the youth
shared some of their own stories of loss, displacement, and adjustment to life in New York
City. Youth Program coordinator Kate Macom and IRC New York volunteer Jill Strauss, the
nonviolence education coordinator at The Temple of Understanding, organized and
facilitated the workshop.
IRC NEW YORK RECIEVES SOME FAVORABLE PRESS
The January 13 issue of Time Out New York magazine featured the IRC’s New York
resettlement office as part of a roundup of worthwhile, well-organized, local volunteering
opportunities.
LITERACY FOR LIFE CLASSES TO RESUME THIS MONTH
The Literacy for Life program resumed yesterday, February 2nd. Funded by Alva and Bernard
Gimbel Foundation, the program gives refugees the life and literacy skills they need to enter
the workforce and build successful lives in their new homes. A companion program to the
IRC self-sufficiency program, which is designed to ensure rapid, long-term financial
independence, Literacy for Life teaches English in useful contexts – while learning to read
and write, refugees also learn about healthcare in the US, public transportation options, job
searching, American culture and traditions, and how to make a personal budget and cut out
unnecessary expenses. Please contact Emily Feder at 212.551.3122 to learn more about
Literacy for Life classes and one-to-one tutoring.
TRIBECA FILM MAKES GENEROUS MERCHANDISE DONATION TO IRC NEW
YORK
After hearing about our needs and the “gaps” in our donations rooms, Tribeca Film Festival.
the film festival will be sending surplus sweatshirts, umbrellas, school and work bags, hats, tshirts, and other items from past film festivals to IRC’s offices in New York and New Jersey.
IMAGINING GREAT PERFORMANCES: REFUGEE YOUTH VISIT PS 122
On Friday, February 18, refugee youth from IRC New York’s youth program will visit
Performance Space 122 to learn about career options in dance, theater, and music.
Located on the corner of First Avenue and 9th Street, Performance Space 122 occupies the
building that was once Public School 122. Now, the space has gone from disrepair to boast
two theatres that feature dance, performance, music, film, and video, as well as a national
touring program, low-cost rehearsal space and more. The field trip will be the seventh in our
series of trips to local companies and organizations.
To get ready for the trip, refugee youth will take part in an acting workshop with a
Manhattan-based Theatre Group, Dzieci on February 9th. The workshop will use works by
William Shakespeare to teach the basics of acting technique.
GIFT WRAP WITH US
We are recruiting volunteers to take part in a gift wrapping project at Barnes and Noble in
Union Square this Valentine’s Day. We will wrap gifts for customers, distribute information
about IRC, and have a donations box available for contributions. We first took part in giftwrapping this holiday season, raising just over $1000. (That’s enough for a single mother to
pay for two months of childcare, for 10 refugee youth to take part in 10 Imagine Series trips,
or for a housebound woman to attend a 3 month class certifying her as a health aide.)
Volunteers will receive 50% off of café items, 30% off books, and 20% off DVD’s and cd’s for
the day they volunteer. One volunteer will win a one hour massage at Avalon Salon and Day
Spa (271 West 4th Street). We need volunteers for Friday, February 11th – Monday, February
14th. Please respond to this email or call 212.551.0950 to volunteer.
None of our work would be possible without donations of money, goods,
services, and time from caring individuals. To make a tax-deductible
donation to IRC New York, click here or call 212.551.0950. Additional
information about volunteering, hiring refugees, and making donations of
clothing, holiday gifts, or other resources is available at
www.theIRC.org/NewYork.
The IRC is responding with life-saving emergency relief for tsunami and earthquake
survivors in the Aceh province of Indonesia, the region closest to the quake’s epicenter and
hardest hit by the disaster. To learn more, please visit www.theIRC.org.