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Jony Guisao Ospina, Program Associate at the Gilchrist Immigrant Resource Center, shared one of his interactions with a Montgomery County resident who reached out to the Center through the Information and Referral Service.
“A woman from Senegal was referred to us by her friend. She had been a domestic worker for a family in Senegal. They promised her a job if she came with them to the US. When she arrived, the family took her passport and did not pay her for her work. This went on for decades, and she spent her entire adult life inside her employer's home without getting paid. When she called us, she had finally been able to escape that situation and was staying with a friend. She had many needs: immigration, housing, health care, and employment, to name a few. But, most of all, she did not feel safe in her living situation. I referred her to an organization which serves human trafficking survivors. Through this referral, she was able to receive housing assistance. I also worked on connecting her with legal and social services, as well as other resources. I felt honored to be able to help her rebuild her life after struggling in that situation for so many years. I am also an immigrant, and working at the Gilchrist Center and being able to help other immigrants is a feeling of great accomplishment for me.”
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