Jewish Family Service of Buffalo & Erie offers new hope to new Americans through the JFS Immigrant and Refugee Resettlement Program. The initiative to help people who have been forced from their homes and crossed an international border for safety has been an initiative of JFS since the agency began.
 
Today, JFS staff welcomes families and individuals as they arrive at the airport and provides them with immediate housing, food and clothing. The agency also provides an orientation to their new neighborhood, and help with finding employment, learning English, enrolling in school and accessing medical care and social services.
 
In September, 2010 staff from the JFS New American program, took a group of recently arrived Somali-Bantu children on a back-to- school shopping expedition at A. J. Wright and Payless Shoes, Target and Office Max on Delaware Avenue.

Children and parents were given a school allowance and the children were allowed to choose what they wanted to wear and their backpacks. It was a valuable life skill lesson in managing limited financial resources, and the children took ownership and pride in their selections.

"When I was a child, my favorite part of starting school was knowing I would have new shoes and clothes.  It isn't any different with new American children. The children were able to pick out what they liked, which made them more comfortable about starting school in a totally new environment,” said Maria Domingo, Director of the New American program.

"JFS thanks Ellen Goldstein and the Federation for collecting critical items such as toiletries and cleaning supplies for donation during the Federation annual dinner. The generosity of this support helps enable JFS to provide these valuable goods to New American constituents.

If you are interested in learning more about the JFS New American program or ways to help please contact RoseAnn Gromacki, Director of HR/Operations at (716) 883-1914.