Annual Report 2024
WELCOMING REFUGEES TO JERSEY CITY SINCE 2016
LETTER OF INTRODUCTION
Dear Friends,
This report looks back at the work this past year of Welcome Home Jersey City, a community-based nonprofit organization providing support for refugees and other immigrants who have resettled in the Jersey City area. But I am writing this introduction a few days after the election, and our focus quickly turns to the future and what it may hold for the friends we help and the issues we care deeply about.
As a candidate, the president-elect made many alarming statements and threatened extreme actions against immigrants, just as he did when he was first elected eight years ago.
We are reminded that Welcome Home was established in the aftermath of the election in 2016 when concerned Jersey City residents came together to help immigrants as government programs were cut and resettlement agencies were hollowed out. Now, even more draconian measures may be coming. Our work is more important than ever.
Our core mission will not change. As described in these pages, we will continue to facilitate our friends' successful integration into the community. ‘Integration’ is hard to define; the field of refugee studies includes a large body of research about the topic with no single definition. But evidence reported in many studies [1] suggests that there are several domains that are of central importance to achieving integration. They are illustrated in the following chart. [2]
Research finds that work, housing, education, health and social care, and leisure each are markers that demonstrate progress towards integration; they are also means that support achievement in other areas -education is a means towards work; work provides opportunities to practice language and build social connections; etc.
There are different kinds of social connections that contribute to integration. Social bonds are connections with others with a shared sense of identity. Bridges are connections with people of a different background, and links are connections with institutions including government services. We will continue to build such connections, giving local residents opportunities to be partners in resettlement through their donations of time, talent and financial support and by undertaking activities that promote personal connections with immigrants.
There are certain competencies that are recognized as necessary for people to integrate into the wider community. These include language and communication skills; an understanding of cultural values and practices including information for daily living and social expectations; digital skills; and having a sense of safety and stability.
In the pages that follow we highlight how Welcome Home is helping our friends in many different ways, addressing all of these domains, as they strive to achieve integration. We will continue in these efforts for those who are here now and those who may be able to come in the future. We will continue to say to immigrants who resettle in Jersey City -- through our words and actions -Welcome Home. Please join us in this important work. We are grateful for your understanding, cooperation and support.
[1] A foundational study was commissioned by the UK Home Office in 2002 and published as Ager, A , & Strang, A (2008) Understanding integration: A conceptual framework Journal of Refugee Studies, 21(2). https://doi.org/10.1093/jrs/fen016
[2] UK Home Office, Indicators of Integration Framework 2019. https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/627cc6d3d3bf7f052d33b06e/home-office-indicators-ofintegration-framework-2019-horr109 pdf
Dave Mammen, Chair November 2024
FunClub
On Monday evenings through the year Welcome Home friends –children and adults – join staff and volunteers to have dinner, get homework help and play games, practice conversational ESL, and connect to get help with various matters including employment and benefit applications. Saint Peter’s University generously provides facilities, and faculty and staff join in.
More than half of those being helped by Welcome Home are children in school. At Fun Club, children learn through play led by our talented and dedicated volunteers.
Last winter Riva inspired us by setting up a hot cocoa stand to raise money for Fun Club. Over the summer, this 7th grader rolled up her sleeves again by hosting a lemonade stand and having a book sale. She raised $123! We love our young supporters who take their precious time to help out our refugee friends in the community. Thank you, Riva!
Play is the work of children
Healthenablesengagementin employmentandeducation activitiesaswellassocial connections
HealthierJC
This year we received a grant from Healthier JC, an office of the Jersey City Department of Health and Human Services, in support of Fun Club as a safe and open space where our friends can gain a sense of community and mental wellness. Our friends also get information on health insurance, hospitals and clinics, and learn what to expect during a doctor's visit with a translator and advocate as needed.
Workshops
Before the start of the new school year we hosted workshops in Spanish and Dari at Fun Club to help parents understand the education system in the U.S. We went over topics such as how to register your child for school, the grading system, extracurricular activities and how to support the educational journey of their child.
Cultural
understanding, including practical information for daily living, promotes integration
Once again we were able to distribute bookbags with school supplies and a gift certificate for school clothing to 125 children. Volunteers gathered at our storage unit to fill their cars with bookbags and hit the city with delivery lists. Our group chat flooded with praise and gratitude from our friends.
World RefugeeDay
Creating bridges with people of a different background supports social cohesion and opens up opportunities for broadening cultural understanding, and widening educational and economic opportunities.
A special Fun Club was our celebration of World Refugee Day with ONE BIG POTLUCK! There were tamales! Freshly made hot hot hot arepas! There was bolani and biryani! There were meat pies samosas and all kinds of empanadas! We enlisted the help of some of our friends to cook up some big batches and they sure delivered. Shoutout to
@kingspridefoods and
@cardamomandrosecatering.
Some old friends returned to hang out, some came with news of marriage and a few showed up with new babies. What a night! We were also joined by volunteers from @uniqlousa who generously served food, cleaned up, and even jumped rope with our kids in the quad. A huge thanks to all our friends and volunteers for making this a successful evening!
We’re so grateful to Malak Sayed & other students in the service club at University Academy Charter High School in Jersey City for making beautiful boxes filled with cosmetics for our Fun Club friends. They were so excited to receive these special gifts!
On Monday evenings, board meetings are exchanged for board games when the McIntyre Conference Center in Dinneen Hall is transformed into Fun Club. According to Vice President for Mission and Ministry Rev. Andrew N. Downing, S.J., Welcome Home is very much keeping in line with the compassionate practice of Jesuit Principles. “Walking with refugees and asylum seekers people who are excluded from their home country and region and find themselves without friends or allies is exactly what those of us at the University are called to do,” Fr. Downing observed. Excerpted from the alumni magazine of Saint Peter’s University. Read the full article here
"Welcome Home"
In the midst of Jersey City, where dreams take flight
The "Welcome Home" program shines its light.
Our wonderful Saint Peter’s University student volunteer Jada L. wrote a poem where she describes how Fun Club has impacted her.
A safe place for refugees, or people of all walks to roam, Where hope finds its place, in the "Fun Club" home.
On St. Peter's campus, every Monday we meet, With laughter and games, from 6-8 our happiness is complete.
Volunteers gather, with hearts open wide, To walk hand in hand, with the families who've overcome and defied. In the "Fun Club" quad, children laugh and play, Their anxiety is taken, just for today.
Homework help, a guiding hand,
In the journey of learning within this system, they bravely stand.
Pizza shared, a side of water for delight, In every bite and sip, a sense of hope takes flight. Us volunteers, are the drivers of this change, In every mile, there is a story of one's life to exchange. Through cultural exchanges, connections are found, Close to the true American dream, unity is around.
Friendships formed, stereotypes dismissed, In the atmosphere of "Fun club", you learn to coexist.
Jersey City Fun club, a place that will always be cherished.
A true testimony to where all my misconceptions on refugees perished. "Welcome Home" invites, a outlet of grace, Through their strong impact, we strive to make Jersey City a better place.
A note from the author
I have been blessed with the opportunity for the past two years to be a volunteer in the Fun Club here at St. Peter's and it has honestly changed my life. With the help of kind community members, the poem "Welcome Home" depicts the experiences of refugee families as they adjust to a new setting. The main idea is the transforming power of hospitality and support found in the "Fun Club", which goes beyond providing a place to stay and instead promotes a feeling of inclusion and belonging. The poem serves as a reminder of the resilience and determination of refugee families in the face of hardship, as they take comfort in the kindness of others and the hope of a better future. “Welcome Home" and the "Fun Club" are a moving tribute to the ability of compassion and community to support refugee families, highlighting the significance of establishing places where people from all backgrounds may gather, exchange stories, and form deep connections.
Spring clothing and winter coat events provided many households with much needed items. We are so grateful to all the volunteers, schools, and organizations who collected gently used clothes for us including the United Synagogue of Hoboken, USH Refugee Support Committee, The OLC School, Stevens Cooperative School, World of ABC, The Waldo School, Saint Peter's Prep, The Hudson School, The Scandinavian School of Jersey City, All Saints Episcopal Day School - Hoboken and PS 5 Dr. Mich
SUPPORT
Volunteers on the Donations, Drives and Deliveries committee work year-round to obtain and distribute food, clothing, school supplies and other items that families need including baby items, air conditioners, bikes, televisions, laptops, and kitchenware. These efforts are led by Priti Chitnis Gress, Vice Chair of our
winter coat event
BOOK SALE
A book sale fundraiser was held at Treehouse Café, which generously let us use their space.
The OLC School and the Brunswick School collected books to sell.
Over $1,300 was raised. Thank you to everyone who came to buy books and support Welcome Home.
Spring food bag distribution
Volunteers helpedsort food
andpackupboxes
We once again partnered with the Islamic Council of North America to deliver Ramadan food boxes to 75 families. Each box contained essentials like flour, oil, sugar, pasta, dried beans, rice and a voucher for halal meat. Volunteers helped sort food and pack up boxes in the morning and others delivered them in the afternoon. A huge thanks to Petrina, Umber, driver Hamza and the whole team!
In December we will deliver bags filled with non-perishables, sweet potatoes, and a voucher for halal meat to every family.
EmploymentandEducation
Work provides income and helps develop language and broader cultural competence and social connections.
Welcome Home’s Employment and Education Committee is led by board member Bess Morrison and her husband Fred Miller. They have learned that the best way to help our friends get jobs is to develop relationships with employers who have openings, and they develop and nurture those relationships throughout the year. Their Committee helps friends prepare resumes and job applications, prepare for interviews, and go through the onboarding process when hired.
3The lack of job-ready English is certainly an obstacle for many of our friends. Welcome Home facilitated adults to enroll in free ESL offered through the Jersey City public schools and library system. We did extensive outreach to let our friends know about the programs and answer their questions. We provided car service for registration for those who needed it, and explained how to get to and from the classes by transit. We also provided a volunteer on site to help with registration.
Education is essential for integration; for adults it creates opportunities for employment and wider social connection
Language and communication are competencies necessary to effectively integrate
Our experienced volunteers also provide conversation practice at our weekly Fun Club. We also offered an online platform for Welcome Home language mentors to work 1:1 with students of all ages on English language learning.
When adults need training or credentials to gain employment, Welcome Home helps with arrangements. For those nearing graduation from high school, Welcome Home helps students and parents consider post-high school education, training and work opportunities. This includes providing help with applications for college admission and financial aid.
3
Digital skills help facilitate social connections and are increasingly crucial in accessing rights and services
This year Maryam Kardoush, Career Development Specialist of the International Rescue Committee, led several sessions during Fun Club with Afghan women to help them identify and discuss personal goals in a supportive environment that was female, safe and confidential. The Women in Action program helped participants embrace an active role in building family economic selfsufficiency and increase connections and contributions to a wider community through a mix of in-class instruction, hands-on experiential learning activities, participant-led discussions, field trips, and guest speakers.
Because of the dedication these women demonstrated during their lessons with Maryam, IRC was able to pay for each participant to attend the Home Health Aide Training Program with Alpha Care in Hackensack. They all passed the HHA exam and obtained their HHA licenses from the NJ Board of Nursing. The next step is their job placement as Home Health Aides. Congratulations to Farah S., Lida E., Shiba S., and Friba F.! This program will continue, and we have now added 30 minutes of English conversation to the start of each session, using our volunteer ESL teachers.
Social relationships of different kinds contribute to integration. Bonds are connections with others with a shared sense of identity such as nationality, language, and religious faith
The New York Red Bulls soccer team generously donated tickets to our organization so that our friends and volunteers could enjoy their Star Wars and Superhero themed nights. Despite a thunderstorm our friends had a wonderful time. Go
Once again several of our kids were able to attend Buck’s Rock Performing and Creative Arts Camp, a sleepaway camp in Connecticut where working artists and teachers offer worldclass instruction in over 30 different arts including dance, glassblowing, improv, weaving, lighting design, ceramics, and much more. The camp generously provided full scholarships for our kids.
Princeton University
Pumpking carving
For the fourth year in a row Princeton University’s Office of Religious Life invited our families to visit campus for outdoor games, lunch, a campus tour and pumpkin carving. The university generously provided 2 buses so we were able to take more than 60 people, including many of our newly arrived families.
Japanese casual wear designer and retailer
Uniqlo once again offered Welcome Home friends an opportunity to shop for free at their Newport Center Mall store. They were warmly greeted by store managers and staff, and paired with a personal shopper to pick out a top, bottom, and a piece of outerwear. It was so special to see our friends choose new clothes for themselves. The folks at Uniqlo welcomed our friends with open arms and treated them with grace and kindness.
Costco donated a $500 gift card as part of their effort to provide humanitarian support to the community. The gift card helped us provide diapers, toilet paper, and a lot of other household items to families in need. They were incredibly grateful and happy for the gift! Thank you, Costco!
We’re once again grateful to the Beacon Hope and Equity Center, a supporting organization of the Beacon Unitarian Universalist Congregation, for offering our friends an opportunity to apply for microgrants to help with a variety of needs including housing, food insecurity, and medical bills.
Safety provides an essential foundation to forming relationships with people and society, enabling integration through education, employment and participating in leisure pursuits.
EMPOWERING LIVES AND INSPIRING HOPE
Ingrid L. arrived in the U.S. from Colombia about a year ago and initially took a job at a local bakery. Motivated by her goal of building a better life for her family, including her 4-year-old son, she began pursuing a position as a teacher’s aide at a public school. With support from Jackie, our programs director, Ingrid successfully navigated the application process, and we were able to assist with fingerprinting costs. With this new job providing more stability, we also helped her enroll in free ESL classes, allowing her more time to focus on her studies. She’s now working on obtaining her driver’s license as she continues her inspiring journey forward!
VOLUNTEERING CHANGES LIVES, MAYBE
EVEN YOUR OWN
The team at Nestle/Nespresso assembled & donated 12 bikes for our Welcome Home Jersey City kids!! A huge thank you to them and to TeamBonding for organizing the event. Also, a thank you to our 3D team: Priti, Shazia Buskens, Amanda & Connor Boyd for helping to deliver the bikes to our families.
Israel Cedeno, a volunteer who is a student at Saint Peter’s University, took the initiative to produce a video about Welcome Home. He interviewed our friends, volunteers and staff. The result can be viewed here. Our thanks to Israel and his faculty advisor, Ernabel Demillo.
IsraelCedeno
CrystalM.
This year we awarded the Kara Murphy Award to our superstar volunteer Crystal M. to show our gratitude for all the hard work she has dedicated to Welcome Home. The award is named for Kara Murphy, one of the co-founders of Welcome Home who now serves as a board member, exemplifying the volunteer spirit that animates the organization. Thank you Crystal and all of our wonderful volunteers for being a part of our community. As our Board Chair, Dave, reminded us “ we cannot do the work we do without our volunteers.” To volunteer with us, please fill out the form on this page.
Empowering lives and inspiring hope
Housing impacts access to employment, education and healthcare, as well as opportunities for social connection.
Saint Peter’s University hosted a symposium on May 2 titled Unsettled: celebrating migrants through research and culture. Our board chair Dave Mammen spoke at the morning session on Housing and Migration. His remarks can be found here.
Dave submitted a letter from Welcome Home to the Jersey City Division of Community Development as part of the public comment period for their Annual Action Plan for the city’s community development block grant. We drew attention to the impact of the affordable housing crisis on our friends. We called for the City to undertake or commission a study of the housing conditions and needs of the refugee community which should include interviews with the refugee community, those organizations that serve them, and housing providers in order to document and highlight the problem. The study should consider how other communities are addressing similar needs and make recommendations for steps that can be taken in Jersey City.
Consideration should be given to designating those receiving refugee resettlement benefits and services as a “special needs” population in recognition that they are among the city’s most vulnerable households. Consideration should also be given to advocating for more special-purpose emergency housing choice vouchers to be reserved for refugees, and for more units to be set aside as ‘affordable’ in private developments.
Don Malone, Anna Yezerova, Carol Sainthilaire, Dave Mammen (left to right)
IMMIGRANTSWITHOUT RESETTLEMENT BENEFITS
Since Welcome Home’s inception in 2016, we ’ ve provided assistance to those resettled in Jersey City through traditional resettlement pathways such as the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program, Afghan and Ukrainian humanitarian parole, and Special Immigrant Visas. Beginning in early 2024 several buses from Texas dropped off immigrants who had recently arrived from the southern border. Most continued their journeys into New York City, but a handful stayed in New Jersey.
Many recently arrived immigrants are asylum-seekers who have come to the US seeking safety and freedom but are unjustly detained for months, sometimes even years, or left to fend for themselves in a country where they may know no one and are largely ineligible for most safety net programs. Most have exhausted their resources to reach the United States and thus have limited resources to pay for an attorney, feed their families, and/or pay rent.
In our view, the “migrant crisis” is in fact our society’s inability to respond with dignity and care to desperate individuals and families who have risked everything for a chance at safety and opportunity.
This year and next, with support from Grace Works, we are partnering with First Friends of NJ & NJ to assist recently arrived immigrants. We will hold a resource fair on the campus of Saint Peter’s University where information on resources and services available to immigrants -- regardless of status –will be provided.
We will also invited recently arrived immigrants to participate in our Fun Club and distribution events. Those being charged with immigration violations are required to make frequent visits to the U.S. Immigration Court in Newark and often, also in-person check-ins with an ICE officer. We will refer migrants to the First Friends’ accompaniment program; by being present during their visits to immigration court or an ICE check-in, staff and volunteers seek to provide emotional support for friends as they navigate a threatening and perplexing immigration system.
Partners
Over the past year many local schools, youth groups, and other nonprofit organizations contributed volunteers and donated goods and services for Welcome Home events and to fulfill the specific needs of families. This is a testament to the desire of many to help refugees and to the reputation of Welcome Home as a trusted organization.
We thank them all
TeamBonding
Roots Farm Fresh
Cantigas Women Choir
Treehouse
Princeton University
USH Refugee Support Committee
University Academy Charter High School Red Bulls
Bombas
Listofboard membersandstaff (AsofDecember2024)
Board members
Welcome Home’s volunteer board members are involved in direct service as well as governance and fundraising.
Dave Mammen, Chair
Priti Chitnis Gress, Vice Chair
Dawit Kibreab, Treasurer
Betsey Barnum, Secretary
Jeanette Dobrowski (thru October)
Doaa Hussein
Bess Morrison
Kara Murphy
Makiko Oku
Hana Zalatimo
Staff(Asof December2024)
This year Kenna Mateos stepped down from her role as Director of Programs. She welcomed a new baby, Leo, last November and wanted to spend more time with her family. She’s continued to be an active volunteer, particularly as the liaison between our families and their kids’ schools. We thank her for everything she has done for Welcome Home and what she will continue to do!
Stepping into the role of Director of Programs is Jackie Zapata, who previously served on staff as Program Specialist. Jackie has worked with many organizations with similar missions and values as ours including First Friends of NY NJ and Wind of the Spirit. She recently earned her Master's in Public Administration.
Jen Moranchel was promoted from Executive Assistant to Assistant Director of Programs. Manija Mayel continues to serve as our Afghan Resettlement Volunteer Coordinator. Basbibi Kakar, who had been on loan from Rutgers Presbyterian Church to provide support to our Afghan friends, is on extended maternity leave with her first child.
Jennifer began working for Welcome Home Jersey City right after graduation from Saint Peter’s University in 2021. Moranchel does everything from conducting intakes of new families to attending grant meetings to assisting Spanish speaking families. “Working with the families is the best part,” she said. “If something comes up, and you ’ re able to find a solution, you know that you just made their lives a little bit easier. Welcome Home Jersey City is so connected to the Saint Peter’s mission because we do not make any assumptions about the refugees; rather we feel empathy for what they have gone through. Helping them is the right thing to do.” … Moranchel attributes her desire to work for an organization like Welcome Home to lessons she learned while studying at Saint Peter’s, mainly that we should all be compassionately promoting justice. “It’s so important to have compassion with what refugees go through,” she said. “They experience so much trauma, and it’s very hard to adapt to a new country. But we try to make sure they know they’re not here alone and there is help available to them.”
Excerpted from the alumni magazine of Saint Peter’s University. Read the full article here.
FINANCIALS
Our Finance Committee is comprised of board members Dawit Kibreab (Treasurer) and Kara Murphy. Sabrina Hamady is our part-time controller, with additional assistance from Chris Khani.
The firm of Scody Scot & Co. CPAs prepared our 990 tax return for the year 2023, which is available on Guidestar/Candid. We are proud to have achieved the highest level platinum seal from Guidestar/Candid demonstrating our commitment to transparency and excellent financial management.
For the calendar year 2024, we set a revenue target of $150,000. Through September, our Fund Development Committee chaired by board member Makiko Oku raised $115,513 in revenue; institutions and individuals who donated money from January through September 2024 are listed below. During this period we spent $121,237 on expenses. We expect to end the year with a modest operating deficit which will reduce our reserves. (We carried over $165,215 from 2023 to 2024). Exact amounts will be reported on our 990 tax return for the year 2024 which will be available on Guidestar after it has been prepared.
Donations and grants from ins during 2024 (January – September)
Franken Family Foundation
Friends of Temple Beth-El
Grace Works Jersey City, Inc.
Healthier JC, an office of the Jersey City Department of Health and Human Services
Jersey City Arts & Culture Trust Fund
Rossini Family Charitable Gift Fund
United Synagogue of Hoboken -- also, their Refugee Support Committee organized a concert in September with some of the proceeds benefitting Fun Club
Individual donors
Welcome Home Jersey City is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Our tax ID number is 83-2428682. Donations may be made online here or by check to Welcome Home, 597 West Side Ave #200, Jersey City, NJ 07304. Thank you.
Mohamed Abdalla
Gineen Abuali
Dan Ackman
William Armbruster
Layla Asal Chic
Veronica Benson-Moore
Louise Block
Helen Blumenthal
Whitney Bodman
Connor Boyd
Clare Boyd
Una Boyd
Marinus Broekman
Julie Brown
Clara Buckley
Michael Cansino
Rachel Cao
Lydia Chibane
Rachel Cullen
Steve Cunningham
Julie Dalton
Fran Davis
Kennan DeGruccio
Michael DeGruccio
Kevin Devine
Jeanette Dobrowski
Ryan Dominguez
Sile Dooley
Kristin Duszak
Sophie Epstein
Jana Epstein
Matthew Epstein
Kenneth Epstein
Wendy Epstein
Amy Faucher
Diana Friedman
Zhi Gan
Deepthi Gandhi
Adam Gilbert
Rochelle Gilbert
Maurice Gomez
Shlomit Gordon
Charlly Greene
Priti Gress
Nathalia Guimaraes
Suellen Havsy
Mary Heidenry
Will Henkel
Lorna Henkel
Juana Hernandez
Joanne Hixson
Dorotby Hoffman
Dinesh Jagannathan
Lila Kalish
Becky Kalish
Susan Kalish
Laura Katzive
Michelle Kelly
Patrick Kennedy
Jana Khalil
Dawit Kibreab
Catherine Kim
Jessica Kirollos
Jane Klueger
Talis Knets
Alex Koepke
Sonia Lall
Joan Litman
Brandi Love
Edwin Mammen
David Mammen
Jennifer Marsh
Kristin Martin
Madeline Martineau
Tanisha Massie
Hannah Masters
Veroneque Matadin
Kenna Mateos
Mary Mccrary
Rajat Mehndiratta
Lamia Metwalli
Josh Meyers
Crystal Miranda
Meghan Moran
Maria Moranchel
Chelsea Moranchel
Jennifer Moranchel
Selena Moranchel
Bess Morrison
Muddasra Munir
Kara Murphy
Giancarlo Nardelli
Edward Needham
Meena Negandhi
Suellen Newman
Makiko Oku
Linda Padovano
Niral Patel
Rachel Pavlakis
Kitty Picker
Catherine Picker
Katherine Prussack
Mayra Quintero-Pasdar
Ellen Ray
Ravit Reichman
Alejandro Romo
Cynthia Sanford
Mia Scanga
Robert Scheinberg
Susan Schmidler
Talya Schwartz Naor
Alyssa Sharkey
Sumedha Sharma
Shirin Shokouhi
Jaime Silver
Stuart Silverman
Melanie Singh
Kristie Skaggs
Allison Skaggs
Cindy Skaggs
Caleb Skaggs
Matthew Skaggs
Annie Skinner
Monika Smyczek
Kelly Stewart
Jennifer Strong
Michael Swan
Gene Szucs
Azita Tajaddini
Susan Taylor
Rebecca Teichman
Jennifer Tramontana
Kathryn Valenta
Kelly Vassilakas
Linda Velwest
Alicia Weinstein
Julia Wilson
Kevin Wolfe
Frank Young
