Dear Friends,

Next week will mark my third month with the Rian Immigrant Center. With every passing day, I am more and more grateful to have joined an organization so crucial–not only to the wellbeing of the individuals we serve–but to the wellbeing of all of us who live, work, and raise our children here.

These past three months, I have dedicated my time to listening and learning. As I met with staff, board members, and donors, I was always moved by the dedication that you all have for Rian. You are truly a community, and I am proud to be the newest member of it.

I would also be remiss if I did not thank my predecessor, Ronnie Millar. The legacy he leaves behind is, frankly, daunting. Thanks to Ronnie’s stewardship, Rian stands out as a true symbol for excellence among its nonprofit peers; and his impact on the lives of refugee and immigrant families is indeed incalculable. My only hope is that I can honor the time, stress, sweat equity, and hard work he put into Rian for well over a decade.

I am excited to learn as much as I can from you in the coming months to ensure the continued success of Rian so that we may continue to serve immigrants & refugees in New England, and promote the creation of a society where all are welcome.

With sincere gratitude,

Jacob Bombard

Executive Director

Supporting individuals seeking TPS

In January and February, Rian's Immigration Legal Services team focused on supporting individuals seeking Temporary Protected Status (TPS).

As a part of this goal, our team continues to do monthly forms workshops at the BBA where we support individuals with completing TPS forms. We were proud to also complete a workshop with Fragomen, and a workshop with AILA NE, the City of Somerville, and IFSI. Through these forms workshops we have been able to complete almost 100 TPS applications for members of our community!

Education Services kicks off Spring Semester

The Education Services Department kicked off the Spring 2023 semester on February 21st by welcoming 39 new ESOL students! With our newest ESOL instructor, Joseph Valle, our ESOL program was able to open an entirely new (and much requested!) level 1 evening class section. In total, our team welcomed 77 ESOL students across 5 class sections!

In addition to starting our Spring semester, with the support of Rian’s Development team, the Education Services Department was able acquire 20 additional Chromebook laptops to add to our pool of accessible tech from which we lend out to students and clients. 41 of our students are participating in the Education Services’ Student Laptop Loaning Program this Spring semester!

Creating a support group for

J-1 Irish Exchange Visitors

In collaboration with Rian's Learning Exchange Program, the Resource & Support Services team will be launching and facilitating an open support group for Rian’s newly arrived J-1 Exchange Visitors! This drop-in space will give the students on the program an opportunity to connect with other students, and get support for the many challenges associated with the adjustment and transition during their visa experience. We hope to help participants manage stress, alleviate the feelings of loneliness and isolation, homesickness, and adjusting to new living situations and workplaces.

The Education Services Department is also preparing to launch our Spring 2023 Tech Goes Home Computer Course from April 28th - June 9th! Erin Chubb, our longstanding Tech Goes Home site instructor, will be hosting the course on Friday mornings, from 10 am - 1 pm. Upon completing 15 hours of instruction, students will receive a Tech Goes Home certificate and free Tech Goes Home Chromebook.

Elena Ruiz, our IAP and Citizenship Program Manager, has established a new employment partnership for our current Education Services students and clients. All At Home Health Care, a home health services company, offers home health aide/CNA training opportunities and employment regardless of experience level in the field. Furthermore, AAH has offered to provide compensation to the Education Services Department for each student we refer to the program. Elena will soon start referring interested students and clients!

27th Annual Immigrants Day at the State House

Several Rian staff members were able to attend Immigrants Day at the State House this past Wednesday. Our staff enjoyed learning about advocacy efforts in Massachusetts, and were proud to represent Rian's programs!

Irish Outreach

We are excited that the Boston Pride Parade is back this year! We look forward to participating once again under the 'Irish for Pride' banner - please join us.

Email [email protected] to find out more.

The Rian Irish Outreach team were excited to host a resource table at this year's South Boston St. Patrick's Day Parade! We were able to chat with many individuals, and our staff had so much fun running competitions throughout the day.

We were delighted to be "neighbors" to the Irish Cultural Centre and really enjoyed their musicians & Irish dancers!