OCTOBER 2024 NEWSLETTER

Welcome to the Virginia Department of Social Services (VDSS) Office of New Americans (ONA) monthly newsletter providing you with ONA updates, immigration news, community resources, training webinars, local events, and more.

ONA is comprised of an Immigrant Services unit and Refugee Services unit. The Office is responsible for the implementation of a statewide strategy to provide immigrants in Virginia with comprehensive assistance related to employment, housing, healthcare, education, citizenship, and other services.

Webinar: Protegiendo a Nuestra Comunidad Inmigrante: Prevención de Estafas y Fraudes| Protecting Our Immigrant Community: Scam and Fraud Prevention

Spanish Webinar hosted by ONA Immigrant Services with the Federal Trade Commission

You are invited to ONA's upcoming educational webinar taking place on Wednesday, October 16th from 11AM-12PM (in Spanish). ONA and the FTC seek to educate and empower Spanish-speaking immigrant communities on how to identify and combat scams and fraud. Multilingual resources, including the FTC "Pass It On" campaign materials, will be shared with attendees. Register here for webinar details.

Hosting a community event? We would love to help spread the word! Please reach out to liliana.penalver@dss.virginia.gov with further information.

Community Resources

2-1-1 Virginia

Informed Immigrant

Protecting Immigrant Families

VIRTUAL TRAININGS

& WEBINARS

Together Program/Juntos en Pareja

University of Maryland

Various workshops, Oct. 2-22, 6-8:30PM

Hispanic Heritage Month Lunch and Learn

Richmond Public Schools

Oct. 2, 12PM | The Food that Shaped Us

Oct. 9, 11AM | The Afro-Latino Experience

Reimagining Schools: Centering Newcomers, Building Belonging, and Activating Community

Welcoming America

Oct. 9, 2-3PM

Services and Resources for Latinos with Disabilities

The ENDependence Center of Northern Virginia

Oct. 10, 1-2:30PM

Voces de Esperanza

Latinos in Virginia Empowerment Center

Oct. 15, 6-7:30PM

Call 804-658-3341 to register

Comprehensive Counseling Solutions of Virginia offers psychological evaluations for immigration cases, including a free 10-minute consultation for asylum, U-visa, T-visa, and extreme hardship cases. They serve Richmond, Chesterfield, Hopewell, and areas within Henrico.

The National Resource Center for Refugees, Immigrants, and Migrants at the University of Minnesota provides health resources curated for displaced populations. See the NRC-RIM website for health education fact sheets and videos.

2-1-1 Virginia is a helpline and website connecting people of all ages with free, confidential, multilingual referrals and information 24/7. Make sure your agency is listed and up-to-date online!

Visit a mobile clinic in Petersburg! Stop by the Sentara Mobile Care every Thursday from 10AM-1PM at The Hope Center, and 2-5PM at the Petersburg Public Library. Medicaid and the uninsured are welcome. Walk-ups are welcome, or call to make an appointment at 804-389-0521.

The Virginia Community Resource Center offers no cost health services every Wednesday 9AM-3:30PM hosted by VSU and PHI in partnership with VCU's School of Nursing.

The Alzheimer's Association hosts Café Latino every second Saturday of the month at 10AM. To register call 800-272-3900 / Café Latino es una reunión virtual que ocurre el segundo sábado de cada mes a las 10:00 de la mañana. Para registrarse, llame a 800.272.3900 para más información.

Join the DUELO LATINO grief and counseling support group for Latinx by Latinx. Duelo Latino provides free general grief support in Spanish, with virtual meetings Wednesdays at 7PM and in-person meetings the last Tuesday of the month at 6PM.