By Donna Stiglmeier, Director of Casserly House
On November 6 at the Roslindale Library, Casserly House catalyzed a very successful event with 120 attendees, including 40 immigrants (half from Casserly House!) receiving free legal counsel with 12 bilingual attorneys/legal experts (English-Spanish, or with Haitian Creole interpreters). An MGH health screening van and 14 resource tables staffed by many organizations spanning Know Your Rights and family preparedness planning, housing, job training and education, basic needs, behavioral health, child and family care to menstrual care product distribution and acupressure. We are so very grateful for Equity Now and Beyond and Agencia ALPHA for coordinating the legal clinic portion, along with immigration attorneys from Rian Immigration Center and MIRA Coalition offering their expertise. In addition to the 40 receiving legal counsel, another 25 or more were there solely for the resource fair from ESOL classes of our community partner ABCD Boston-Roslindale. Trained community watch neighbors were on the lookout to keep us safe! True Alliance Center brought 200 Haitian patties (meat pies with phyllo dough – yum!) while Roslindale Congregational Church and Spirit of Life Community offset that expense. A neighbor of Casserly House, new to the neighborhood, volunteered her languages skills including Haitian Creole, Spanish, French, and English to interpret for the resource fair! Organizations networked in support of their missions and, together, to support our immigrant community.
The most common responses included “VERY helpful,” and, over and over again, “so good to know that people and organizations care about us.” “I am at peace now,” was a response from a Casserly House adult learner. Another of our neighbors was jubilant discovering that she has legal options. Several neighbors received medical care that was long overdue.
The immigration legal clinic was a true expression of community at its best!
