World Refugee Day Forum
Today there are over 65 million refugees worldwide, more than at any other point in world history. Unfortunately, the United States has severely limited the number of refugees it will admit, no longer serving as the safe haven it once was. On June 20th, World Refugee Day, we welcomed business, government, philanthropy, workforce development, and Jewish community leaders for our Spring Economic Opportunity Forum to discuss ways that we can address the refugee crisis. We were thrilled to announce the launch of our new initiative, Together We Rise, which will help refugees living in Boston move from entry-level jobs to family-sustaining careers. This is a 3-year initiative, with the goal of reaching 1,000 refugees. We are grateful to CJP for launching this initiative with us, and to The Shapiro Foundation and Larry and Atsuko Fish - Fish Family Foundation for making lead gifts to this project.

Read Jerry Rubin's latest blog post about standing up for Boston's refugees here.
Preparing for College and Careers
Last month we celebrated with 60 students as they completed our Bridges to College and English for Academic Success programs. Most of the students will be headed to either  Bunker Hill Community College  or  Quincy College to continue their education and receive a post-secondary degree . At the graduation, Senator Joe Boncore  and  Senator Cindy Friedman, pictured above with Bridges graduate Padma Das,  addressed the students, and we are grateful for their advocacy on behalf of this important program in the State House.

We are also grateful to the funders of this program, including the JPMorgan Chase Foundation, BNY Mellon, the State Street Foundation, the Richard and Susan Smith Family Foundation, SkillWorks, the Highland Street Foundation, Local Initiatives Support Corporation/Social Innovation Fund, and the MA Department of Higher Education . We wish our students much success as they continue their studies and reach for their career dreams!
New JVS Career Portal
This month we launched a new career portal on our website! Through our new portal, interested applicants can learn about JVS’s mission, our work culture, great benefits, and open positions. We are currently hiring for positions throughout the agency, including in our Refugee Services, Disability Services, and Academic Services departments. Are you interested in working at JVS or do you know someone who might be? View our new career portal here! 
Foundation Spotlight
We are grateful to the Cummings Foundation for their support of JVS and the impact their giving has had on the lives of our clients. We are inspired by the commitment of Joyce and Bill Cummings to donate 90% of their wealth to charity, and they have signed the Giving Pledge, an initiative started by Bill and Melinda Gates and Warren Buffett. Bill Cummings recently released a new book Starting Small and Making it Big, and 100% of proceeds from the book will be donated. Click here to learn more, read reviews, and purchase the book.
Faces of JVS: Uy Hou
Uy Hou is originally from Cambodia, and came to the United States in 2005. He didn't have the opportunity to complete high school in Cambodia, and was excited to finally earn his high school diploma through JVS's Adult Diploma Pathway. After two years of hard work, Uy earned his diploma in February 2017, and enrolled in JVS's Bridges to College biotechnology program to continue furthering his education. After just 6 months, he completed the JVS Bridges program, and began working toward his certificate in biotechnology at Quincy College. Today, Uy is a graduate of Quincy college, and recently began working at Finch Therapeutics in Somerville!