Immigrants are people leaving their country of origin by choice. Those choices may be many, but their movement ultimately is by choice. Refugees are people fleeing their country of origins for reasons of personal safety; the safety issues may be varied, but in the end, this group had no choice. While these people may find themselves on the south coast for different reasons, they all need many of the same services as they transition into American culture and society.

            On May 15, the Mattapoisett Congregational Church’s Just Peace group hosted a community forum to explore all aspects of an immigrant and refugee experience and their associated needs.

            The panelists represented New Bedford based agencies. Representing Immigrant Assistance Center was Helena DaSilva Hughes; Corinne Williams represented Community Economic Development Center; the Southcoast Afghan Welcome Network and also the Department of Community Services for the City of New Bedford were represented by Mali Lim; and Marlene Cerritos-Rivas represented Mujeres Vicaoriosas (Partners in Health.)

            Each advocate spoke to the level of service their agency provides to immigrants and the types of needs all immigrating persons may face. The message coming through the discussion loud and clear: The needs of these populations are profound, expensive and growing.

            After introductions, each panelist discussed the role of their agency in the lives of people attempting resettlement here.

            Williams has been assisting newcomers to the Greater New Bedford area for decades and is a founding member of the Community Economic Development Center. She said that the agency services not only include English language classes but also teach new arrivals how to use financial systems such as banks, tax preparation and technology. And although the agency faced a disaster when its building burned down, the CEDC is now back in full swing at a new location in New Bedford.

            Williams said that many of the people the CEDC serves want to start businesses but don’t know how or where to begin. The agency assists with those matters too.

            The challenges associated with attending to legal matters was high on the list of arrangements that the CEDC has been able to pull together. “We’ve built an amazing network,” Williams said of the people who have come forward to offer transportation to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) hearings and medical services that are oftentimes many miles away.

            Yet the pandemic has impacted the availability of volunteer drivers, a worrisome situation for the agency.

            Cerritos-Rivas was invited to join the panelists to share her story. She came to the United States as a small child with her undocumented family. They had fled from El Salvador. She is now dedicated to pursuing her public health degree at a university. She believes in the importance of teaching women, many of whom are mothers, how to advocate for themselves, an integral part of the service offered by Mugeres Vicaoriosas. Cerritos-Rivas told the story of women who through months of advocacy were able to get the public school system to include foods that would be recognizable to immigrant children.

            Lim talked about the need to educate new arrivals on how to live day by day in what can be a challenging environment.

            “I work for the city … helping immigrants navigate bureaucracy, how to be good citizens – everything – including when to put their trash out,” she said.

            Lim recently became an immigration lawyer because the need for this type of specialty legal aid is growing daily. She pointed to the approximately 30 Afghan refugees currently being served in the area, and that it is likely the south coast will be receiving refugees from the Ukraine. But housing is a huge stumbling block, she said.

            Lim said that the Southcoast Afghan Welcome Network coordinates and/or supplies this population with furniture, food, clothing, finding jobs or teaching them how read. The task of integrating into a new country is already a complex journey, but without finances or the ability to earn money and the challenge of where to buy groceries or how to get medical help, the immigrants may feel hopeless, especially when government support steps away.

            To fill the breach, Lim stated, “We’ve coordinated Friends Circle.”

            The panelists were all acutely aware of the lack of housing stock in the region, especially since the pandemic-leveraged restrictions on evictions were lifted. Some 600 evictions have taken place in New Bedford, said Hughes. These citizens are now competing for housing with immigrants, she said. “It’s a housing crisis,” said Hughes of the Afghan refugees. “These people are our allies.”

            Hughes spoke to their need to learn English and explained that each new wave of immigrant arrivals brings new challenges that must be met. She emphasized the need for Spanish speakers in the schools to work with students, many of whom she said were struggling in the aftermath of physical and emotional traumas.

            Hughes said her agency works with the police department to bring justice to victims. She estimated that there are 15,000,000 undocumented people in the U.S. Another population in dire need of services. Pointing to her decades of working on behalf of the immigrant population, Hughes said that immigration reform has been politicized, thus, “Nothing gets done!”

            Williams said, “There are people coming across the border from 10 countries now, many from Brazil.” Lim said, “And some lawyers aren’t immigration lawyers, they are taking advantage of (immigrants.)” She asked for continued financial support and volunteers.

            Cerritos-Rivas shared what she believes is an important overall goal. “We want them to live their lives as productive people, get their own businesses and maybe one day return to their own countries.”

            To learn more, contact Lim at mali.lim@newbedford-ma.gov, Hughes at immigrantassistancecenter.org and Williams at cedenewbedford.org.

By Marilou Newell

Editor’s Note: Below are statements from five Rochester School Committee candidates, who are running in two distinct races. The first is a three-year term for the seat presently occupied by Sharon Hartley, who is being challenged by Melissa Goneau. The second is a three-candidate race to serve a two-year term to fill the seat vacated in 2021 by Tina Rood. A tie in 2021 write-in votes resulted in a “failure to elect,” and per protocol the Select Board appointed Jason Chisholm to a one-year term. Chisholm is being challenged for the remaining two-year term by Gregory Hardy and James O’Brien. The Town of Rochester will hold its Election on Wednesday, May 25, at the Senior Center on Dexter Lane.

Jason S. Chisholm – Rochester School Committee

            Rochester Friends & Neighbors, I am currently serving as a member of Rochester Memorial and Old Rochester Regional Joint School Committees for the 2022 school year. A vacant seat was available on the 2021-2022 RMS School Committee as no other candidates came forward for the prior election period; after learning about the opening and submitting a letter of intent to join the Committee, I was granted an appointment by the existing RMS School Committee and Select Board of Rochester. As an appointee, I am to stay in role for the first year, after which I must then be elected by the community of Rochester for the remainder of what would be a three-year term. As your incumbent, I will continue to show up with a levelheaded, common-sense, open-minded approach to the work at hand. We have a tremendous Central Office team led by Superintendent Mike Nelson and are blessed to have a team of hard working and well-intended teachers and support staff. My colleagues on the School Committee are equally as motivated and committed to the mission of our children, educators, and parents/guardians. My background as a business leader, parent, youth coach, board member and Executive Director of a local nonprofit organization make me uniquely qualified to support the discussion, and decisions that must be made on a daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly basis. I’m well educated, having graduated from Bedford High School in 1992 and then Boston University in 1997, where I was a varsity athlete. Additionally, my background and upbringing in a military family (father and mother were both career Air Force) has given me the opportunity to travel the world, live abroad and experience many different cultures and communities. My love and appreciation for small town America is balanced by my love for Inclusion, Diversity and Equity for all people regardless of political leanings or economic status. It’s this open mindedness and ability to think both critically and independently that allows me to collaborate with all members of the School Committee as we work to support the Administration, Support Staff, Teachers, Students, Parents and Each other.

Melissa Goneau – Rochester School Committee

            My interest as a candidate for the RMS School Committee relates to what Faith and service means to me and what it calls for at this moment in time, righting the wrongs. I was once taught that America is the greatest nation on Earth; if this holds truth then I believe the World is counting on all of us for a better tomorrow. My name is Melissa Goneau, I grew up in E. Freetown Massachusetts and have lived in Rochester for nearly 8 years. As a grandmother of four, I believe they, like all children, deserve nothing less than respect, to feel safe, seen, heard, and supported while being accepted, most importantly loved. I spent time observing in my children’s classrooms, attending meetings, asking questions, and researching. I began to realize NCLB had nothing to do with the educational needs of Our Children but everything to do with financial gains and control. In 2009 RtTT came along baiting states with funds in exchange for the adoption of new standards and curriculum known as Common Core. This was never about educating our children. It was, and continues to be, about complete control over curriculum, data collection, resources, teacher training and other assessment tools. Our future is shaped around our environment, and the education we receive. If Public Education continues to be overlooked, unquestioned and left unchallenged there will be great irreversible lasting consequences on Our Schools, Our Children and Our future. Back in 2015 concerns were brought to the School Committee regarding Data collection, while it was acknowledged that data collection was a concern for “many districts” it was not a concern for ours. Today we use Google Classroom which is attached to an IP address and a Gmail account. We also outsource surveys, not only is our data jeopardized, but it’s also not anonymous. I would like to look into current curriculum, bring transparency, allowing Parents to decide to opt into any controversial topics. If elected, I promise to do this job diligently as I believe “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.”

Greg Hardy – Rochester School Committee

            I’ve been living in Rochester for nearly the last five years and have two wonderful children who attend RMS. I was born and raised in Acushnet, attended St. Francis School and then New Bedford High. I served four years in the Army National Guard and while working full time in construction. With extended family in town for over 30 years, we have a vested interest in Rochester. My kids are active in sports and I’ve always coached in Rochester, Acushnet and New Bedford. As a school committee member, my top priority would be to ensure safety and the well-being of ALL students and make sure that all kids have a fair shot. I would be a strong voice for the parents and listen to their concerns because I would be working for them. Overall, RMS is a great school, but I disagreed with how children were treated during Covid and the policies put in place. Covid had its challenges, but the least vulnerable age group was put through some harmful restrictions for far too long. Remote learning was tough for everybody and really made life stressful for families. I think the ones that really suffered the most were the kids, and I don’t think enough effort went into both sides of the mask debate or the social and emotional effects they caused. It was only a one size fits all, unlike the optional mask policy in place now. This was one of the biggest issues that made me decide to run for school committee. I’m part of a large group of community members who feel like we’re not being represented by the long term, experienced, committee members. So just as a regular concerned parent, I promise to be a strong voice for the parents, be a strong voice for medical freedom, advocate for curriculum transparency, listen to both sides of the issues, help ensure that our children have a safe and secure school, support the teachers, treat everybody equally and be a new, fresh voice. Thank you and I would really appreciate your vote on May 25^th.

Sharon Hartley – Rochester School Committee

            On May 25^th, Rochester citizens will decide who serves on the RMS School Committee and what direction we will take. I urge you to compare the candidates running for school committee. Why are they running and what experience do they have? Have they attended a town meeting or a school committee meeting? Have they served on a town board or volunteered in town? Have they worked with others to make essential and difficult decisions? Do they have any experience as an educational leader? I am an experienced and knowledgeable school leader. I have a Bachelor of Science Degree in Elementary Education and a Masters Degree in Educational Administration. I’ve served as an elementary school teacher, an elementary school principal, the Associate Director of a Teacher Center providing support for teachers and school leaders and as a school improvement consultant traveling across the United States assisting and guiding schools toward educational improvement. Most importantly, I care about all our students, our school and our town. I am proud to have represented our School Committee in many roles throughout the years. Perhaps the most significant was serving as the School Committee’s representative on Rochester’s School Building Renovation and Expansion Project that resulted in the most recent addition to RMS. For this effort, I was honored as Rochester Woman of the Year in 2009 by the New Bedford Standard-Times. Now, more than ever, elected officials need to aspire to higher standards and be able listen to others, and work together to find solutions to important issues that affect our schools. I am running to ensure that education in Rochester continues to be characterized by excellence, by caring classrooms, by dedicated teachers and staff. I’m running because I believe in service and I believe that I have a responsibility to give back to our town and our citizens. I have a proven record of service and leadership. I have the experience, integrity and compassion to make a difference. Help me keep our school moving forward. Re-elect me to serve on the Rochester School Committee!

James O’Brien – Rochester School Committee

            My name is James O’Brien and I am running for Rochester Memorial School Committee. Education has been the center of my life. Starting as a student and then transitioning into the role of teacher, coach, school administrator, and former Chairman of the Regional School Committee for ORR. In each of those positions, I made it my priority to focus on the whole student – academically, socially and emotionally. In addition, I raised two beautiful daughters who benefited from the Old Rochester School District. The current state of education is in disarray after the last two years of COVID. To get our students back on track, we need to come together as a team. I have a track record of being able to help do just that. When I began as Superintendent at Greater New Bedford Vocational-Technical High School, the school was on the verge of state intervention due to poor MCAS scores. By the end of my tenure, the school was chosen as one of 10 ambassador schools across the commonwealth to demonstrate why Massachusetts’s schools are leading the nation in student outcomes. By no means do I deserve all the credit. However, I believe my skill set of being able to listen, learn from others, and facilitate meaningful conversations helped lay the groundwork. That, coupled with new school policies, ensuring staff was supported and receiving high levels of professional development, and bringing in consultants to help educate me on areas I was unfamiliar with. I plan to take the same approach on the school committee. Listen to parents and community members. Learn from my fellow committee members, teachers, and school administrators. Facilitate an open dialogue to formulate action steps that’ll help get all students back on track academically, socially, and emotionally after the last two years of pandemic learning. Vote for James O’Brien, for Rochester Memorial School Committee on May 25th for a school committee member who has a proven track record of being committed to excellence!