Author: Selina Sikder

Geographic characteristics of resettled refugee populations in Worcester, MA, FFY09

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Title: Geographic characteristics of resettled refugee populations in Worcester, MA, FFY09

Author: Cuba, Nicholas (Graduate School of Geography and Department of International Development, Community and Environment, Clark University.)  

Date: 2010

Description:  This study uses GIS and spatial statistics to explore the impact of the location of refugee apartments in Worcester on other important aspects of their lives during their first months as refugees in America. These other important elements of refugee resettlement include refugee community formation, access to health care, public transportation and jobs. Data used in the study was collected by Lutheran Social Services of New England (LSSNE) from October 2008 to September 2009 for Worcester, MA.

Keywords: resettlement, GIS, spatial statistics

Cataloged By: Selina Sikder / B.J. Perkins

Empowering ELLs through strong community-school district partnerships for enrichment

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Title: Empowering ELLs through strong community-school district partnerships for enrichment

Author: Rivera, Jessica; Donovan-Pendzic, Esperanza and Marion, Mary Jo

Publication: Annenberg institute for School Reform, Voices in Urban Education (VUE), no. 41

Date: 2015

Description:  This article offers an analysis of an English Language Learner (ELL) summer camp in Worcester, Massachusetts serving Worcester Public School middle and high school students.  The program was a collaboration between the school district, higher education institutes, and community organizations including a Spanish language television program.

https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1074840.pdf

Keywords: English Language Learners (ELL), education, Worcester Public Schools

Cataloged By: Selina Sikder / B.J. Perkins

Preparing teachers to equitably serve ELLs in Worcester, Massachusetts

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Title: Preparing teachers to equitably serve ELLs in Worcester, Massachusetts

Author: Ottow, Sarah

Publication: Annenberg Institute for School Reform, Voices in Urban Education (VUE), no. 37

Date: 2013

Description:  This article provides a description of the Worcester ELL Teacher Residency (WELLTR) program – a partnership between the Worcester Public Schools, Cambridge College and the Center for Collaborative Education. The residency program was created to address the problem of insufficient numbers of teachers trained to teach the growing number of English Language Learners in the Worcester Public Schools.

Keywords: English language Learners (ELL), Worcester Public Schools, education

Cataloged By: Selina Sikder / B.J. Perkins

International Refugee Day 2015 Worcester, Massachusetts

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Title: International Refugee Day 2015, Worcester, Massachusetts

Author Selina Sikder

Date: June 19, 2015

Description: Materials distributed at International Refugee Day 2015 in Worcester, MA by the following organizations and agencies: African Community Education Program (ACE); Ascentria Care Alliance; Caregiver Homes; Catholic Charities; City of Worcester; Women, Infants, and Children (WIC); Refugee and Immigration Assistance Center (RIAC); and Worcester Family Partnership.

African Community Education Program (ACE) Materials Folder

Author: African Community Education (ACE)

Description: Material from African Community Education (ACE) available during the International Refugee Day 2015 in Worcester, Massachusetts. The various materials include handouts for mentoring for empowerment & exchange (MEE), volunteer opportunities, internship opportunities and a short introduction to ACE.

Ascentria Care Alliance Materials Folder

Author: Ascentria Care Alliance

Description: Material from Ascentria Care Alliance (formerly Lutheran Social Services of New England) available during the International Refugee Day 2015 in Worcester, Massachusetts. The material includes postcards for childcare licensing training program in a variety of languages; program for World Refugee Day 2015; foster parent inquiry form; pamphlets for unaccompanied refugee minors program, legal assistance services, surviving domestic abuse and New Lands Farm.

Catholic Charities materials folder

Author: Catholic Charities

Description: Material from Catholic Charities available during the International Refugee Day 2015 in Worcester, Massachusetts. The material includes a graph noting correlation of program services to Massachusetts Catholic Charities office locations; pamphlets for Catholic Charities of Leominster, MA, Migration and Refugee Services through the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops; the 2014 Annual Report for Catholic Charities of Worcester County; flyers for programs and history of refugee services; and an interview with Sister Theresa Khen Doan printed in Worcester T&G (by Bronislaus B. Kush).

City of Worcester Materials Folder

Author: City of Worcester

Description: Material from the City of Worcester available during the International Refugee Day 2015 in Worcester, Massachusetts. The material includes a pamphlet on the Human Rights Commission in Worcester; labor rights; tenant rights and responsibilities; the Worcester Fair Housing Project; business startup guide information and flyers advertising upcoming events within the city of Worcester.

Refugee and Immigrant Assistance Center (RIAC) Folder

Author: Refugee and Immigrant Assistance Center (RIAC)

Description: Material from Refugee and Immigrant Assistance Center (RIAC) available during the International Refugee Day 2015 in Worcester, Massachusetts. The material from RIAC includes pamphlets on domestic violence prevention within the African Muslim refugee community and information about the history and goals of RIAC.

Women, Infants and Children (WIC) Materials Folder

Author: Women, Infants and Children (WIC) and Family Health Center

Description: Material from Women, Infants and Children (WIC) available during the International Refugee Day 2015 in Worcester, Massachusetts. The material includes flyers for the Family Heath Center of Worcester; WIC pamphlets on breastfeeding and child nutritional needs; Massachusetts WIC Program Locations guide; recipe cards and other flyers.

Worcester Family Partnership Materials Folder

Author: Worcester Family Partnership

Description: Material from Worcester Family Partnership available during the International Refugee Day 2015 in Worcester, Massachusetts. The material includes a Worcester Parent Guide to Community Services; a calendar of upcoming events; flyers for events and a sign-up form for the Parent-Child Home Program. Some material is printed in both English and Spanish. Included in this folder is the children’s book, “Say Hello” by Rachel Isadora.

Caregiver Homes Materials Folder

Author: Caregiver Homes, Worcester, MA

Description: Material from Caregiver Homes available during the International Refugee Day 2015 in Worcester, Massachusetts. The material from Caregiver Homes consists of four informational brochures outlining available services in English and alternative languages.

Keywords: community organizations, refugee services, immigrant services

Cataloged By: Kimberly Arleth / Selina Sikder

Local organization informational material

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Title: Local organization informational material

Item descriptions:

  1. New Citizens Center Fact Sheet. It concludes school location, focus, mission statement, description of the school and the program model of New Citizen Center.
  2. Worcester Public Library Services for New Americans and English Learners
  3. Ascentria Care Alliance website print out of Frequently Asked Questions about Refugee and Immigrant Services.
  4. Ascentria Care Alliance handout identifying gaps in refugee services identified during a brainstorming session of community partners.
  5. Print out of Lutheran Social Services’ “New Lands Farm” program section of website. Printed June 9, 2014. New Lands Farm is a refugee farmer collective.
  6. “Blighted Worcester lot becomes community orchard” by Nick Greenhalgh from Worcester Telegram, May 28, 2014. Print out from Lutheran Social Services of New England website under “LSS in the News” section. The article discusses the transformation of an open lot at 9 Jaques Avenue into a community orchard by Bhutanese refugees.
  7. “Worcester Magazine spotlights Worcester Tree Initiative and LSS New Lands Farm” by Walter Bird Jr. from Worcester Magazine, April 3, 2014. Print out from Lutheran Social Services of New England website under “LSS in the News” section. The article discusses the development of the Worcester Tree Initiative (WTI) and its partnership with Lutheran Social Services.
  8. “Lutheran Social Services helps local refugees launch startups” by Peter S. Cohan from Worcester Telegram, March 23, 2014. Print out from Lutheran Social Services of New England website under “LSS in the News” section. The article discusses the microloans and business start-up advice programs offered by Lutheran Social Services to refugees in the Worcester area.
  9. Printout of “Microenterprise Development Program” pamphlet produced by Lutheran Social Services that discusses their microloan program in conjunction with Commerce Bank.
  10. “Investing in a sustainable American workforce” by Leah B. Thibault from triplepundit.com, June 2, 2014. Print out from Lutheran Social Services of New England website under “LSS in the News” section. The article discusses workforce training provided by LSS within the hospitality industry.
  11. Photocopied and stapled packet of resources from the Refugee & Immigrant Assistance Center. Three sheets including History and Mission flyer; an article discussing the use of video projects that use oral histories to convey hope among Syrian refugees; and a “Mapping of Syrian American Communities assisting Syrian refugees” call for participation.
  12. “East African Community Outreach (E.A.C.O)” by Shuchi Mitra from Worcester Magazine, May, 25, 2011. Print out from the Worcester Magazine website. The article discusses the services provided by East African Community Outreach. In addition the author touches on areas of growth E.A.C.O hopes to see in the future should economic and volunteer support be available.
  13. Refugee Council USA printout discussing the US Resettlement Program in Massachusetts.
  14. Office of Refugees and Immigrants Strategic Plan Summary for 2012-14. Executive Director signing off on plan is Josiane Martinez.
  15. Final Agenda for “Welcoming Network” of the Worcester Refugee Consultation Meeting held on Friday, April 17th 20
  16. Information about The Edward M. Kennedy Community Health Center and the services it provides
  17. Flyers from various meetings and events relevant to the refugee and immigrant communities in Worcester, Massachusetts.
  18. Informational pamphlets about organizations in the city  and the services they provide.

Keywords: community organizations, refugee services, immigrant services

Cataloged By: Kimberly Arleth / B.J. Perkins

List of Organizations/Agencies in Worcester

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Title: List of Organizations/Agencies in Worcester

Description: The material consists of lists of agencies and organizations in Worcester, Massachusetts that provide services to immigrant and refugee populations and gives descriptions of the organizations, their services and contact information.

Keywords: immigrant services, refugee services, social service agencies

Cataloged By: Kimberly Arleth / B.J. Perkins

A tale of two countries: Childhood lead poisoning, industrialization, and abatement in New England

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Title: A tale of two countries: Childhood lead poisoning, industrialization, and abatement in New England

Author: Bailey, Adrian J.; Sargent, James D. and Blake, Megan K.

Publication: Economic Geography, Vol. 74

Date: 1998

Description: Childhood lead poisoning continues to be a significant public health concern in New England. This study investigates the spatial variation in childhood lead exposure within two industrial counties, Worcester County, Massachusetts and Providence County, Rhode Island. The analysis focuses on differences in industrialization, demographics and public health interventions.  The findings revealed that lead exposure is complexly linked to patterns of urbanization, industrial heritage and demography and that a history of abatement can reduce lead exposure. This complexity is apparent in the relationship between race/ethnicity/nativity and lead exposure between the two counties. As one of their conclusions, the authors call for more research to better understand this relationship.

https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1944-8287.1998.tb00033.x

Keywords: childhood lead poisoning, industrial history, abatement, medical geography

Cataloged by: Selina Sikder / B. J. Perkins

A systematic integrated approach for crafting poverty reduction and sustainable development projects

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Title: A systematic integrated approach for crafting poverty reduction and sustainable development projects

Author: Downs, Timothy J.

Publication: Natural Resources Forum. Vol. 31

Date: 2007

Description: This article presents a systematic integrated approach to poverty reduction and sustainable development that can frame issues, simplify complexity and guide responses. The approach incorporates five theories: social learning theory and participatory methods, vulnerability theory, systems thinking, sustainability assessment, and capacity building. The author refers to the approach as SVSSC. The article provides three case studies to complete its summary of relevant literature. One case study uses the SVSSC approach to investigate environmental justice and health problems in the Main South and Peidmont neighborhoods in Worcester, Massachusetts. The immigrant populations in these two neighborhood include many resettled refugees.

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/j.1477-8947.2007.00129.x

Keywords: immigrants, refugees, poverty reduction, sustainable development, social learning, capacity building, vulnerability

Cataloged by: Selina Sikder / B. J. Perkins

Health literacy, acculturation, and the use of preventive oral health care by Somali refugees living in Massachusetts

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Title: Health literacy, acculturation, and the use of preventive oral health care by Somali refugees living in Massachusetts

Author: Geltman, Paul L. ; Adam, Jo Hunter; Penrose, Katherine L. ; Cochran, Jennifer; Rybin, Denis; Doros, Gheorghe; Henshaw, Michelle and Paasche-Orlow, Michael

Publication: Journal of Immigrant and Minority Health, Vol. 16

Date: 2013

Description: This study investigates the impact of English language proficiency, health literacy and acculturation on access to and use of preventive dental health services among Somali refugees in Massachusetts. To explore the impact on Somali refugees, the authors employed a cross sectional survey and interviewed 439 Somalis who are 18 or above and had arrived in the US no more than 10 years ago. The authors hypothesized that a higher degree of acculturation and better English language skills would make utilization of dental health services more likely. The analysis indicates that a high acculturation level has a significant association with the use of preventive dental care.

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/237084643_Health_Literacy_Acculturation_and_the_Use_of_Preventive_Oral_Health_Care-by_Somali-Refugees_Living_in_Massachusetts_

Keywords: refugees, preventive dental care, acculturation, health literacy

Cataloged by: Selina Sikder / B. J. Perkins