International Institute of New England’s Post

Embracing cultures ✨ Staff, clients, and community members came together for #WorldRefugeeDay across our offices in Boston and Lowell, M.A. and Manchester, N.H. We thank everyone who joined us in honoring the resilience and achievements of our clients and in celebrating our community's willingness to open their doors for those in need. In Boston, we marked the accomplishments of our #ESOL graduates 🎓 A big thank you to Monique Nguyen, Director of the Boston Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Advancement, who delivered a proclamation from the Mayor’s office in recognition of 100 years of welcoming and serving refugees and immigrants across the region, and to Boston City Council President Ruthzee Louijeune, who shared her story as the daughter of Haitian immigrants, and encouraged our clients to keep up the hard work in English and Haitian Creole. Afterwards the city officials, including City Council members Benjamin Weber and Edward Flynn toured the site, learned about our history from President and CEO Jeff Thielman, and heard from three of our clients. We are so grateful for their interest and support! The Lowell staff and clients kicked off the celebration with a bike ride led by the The Bike Connector who generously provided bikes to those in need. 🚴🌻 Then they gathered again for a potluck celebration, showcasing various cuisines, and decorated their countries' flags. The celebrations culminated with an inspiring event where we inducted five new members into the Lowell 100, a group of leaders who have made significant contributions to the city’s immigrant communities. We thank our former clients Majid Abdulhussien and Suad Mansour, Lowell Community Health Center's Metta Health Center Senior Director Sidney L. Liang, MPA, CHW, and Wade Rubenstein, The Bike Connector Founder and IINE Leadership Council member. All enjoyed food from around the world and a tasting from our generous partner and event sponsor The Starbucks Foundation. At Manchester, staff, volunteers, clients, and community members gathered at Brookside Congregational Church to celebrate our ESOL students and LNA program graduates, who have all displayed great determination and commitment. 🎊 Despite the heat, everyone enjoyed the food, children played in the bouncy castle, and clients won transportation passes and gift cards, thanks to a spinning wheel from AmeriCorps. 📸 Check out the pictures from our celebrations and please consider donating today to welcome and support refugees and immigrants in our communities: https://hubs.li/Q02Fbgdk0 #immigrantswelcome #refugeeswelcome #worldrefugeeday #refugeeswelcome #welcomerefugees #refugeeswelcomehere

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