held for immigrants
of all backgrounds
South River group lends
hand to local immigrants
Informational event
held for immigrants
of all backgrounds
By jennifer dome
Staff Writer
SOUTH RIVER — New immigrants in the United States not only need to find a new job, a new place to live and a new health care program, but they also deal with frustrating language barriers.
Recognizing this struggle was being faced by many local people, the Rev. David Garretson of Sts. Peter and Paul Russian Orthodox Church decided to do something about it. He organized an open house last Thursday at the church for immigrants of all backgrounds.
Coordinated with the Jewish Family & Vocational Services of Middlesex County (JFVS), the event featured several experts who provided information about job searches, senior services and health care, as well as answered many questions.
"Everyone that came [to this country] didn’t know anything, especially if you didn’t speak English," Jan Kuptel said following the open house.
Kuptel came from Poland more than a decade ago, but said he wanted to attend the open house because it provided several sources of information in one place. He said usually people have to call four different departments to obtain the information that was offered at the open house, and sometimes language can be a problem.
Approximately 50 people from countries such as Brazil and Russia attended the open house.
"It was a great success from our point of view. People had real needs and questions answered," Garretson said.
Debby Alter, who helped plan the event and who works as the coordinator of Immigrant and Refugee Services for JFVS, said her agency helps all immigrants and refugees, regardless of religion.
"It’s not designed for any specific ethnic group," Alter said of both the agency and the open house.
She said that Garretson wanted to hold the program because he learned of recent immigrants losing money to people posing as attorneys. These attorneys took money from immigrants while promising to get them green cards or other documents, and then disappeared, Alter said.
"Here in South River there are many people who are being victimized because of their newness to America," Garretson said.
On hand last week was Joyce Antila Phipps, a staff attorney from El Centro Hispanoamericano, who spoke with the immigrants about their rights. Phipps, speaking in Spanish, had her material translated for the Russian immigrants in attendance.
A JFVS representative talked about job training and searching. Elaine Corcine spoke about services for senior immigrants on behalf of National Church Residences, a senior housing development group, and representatives from the Middlesex County Board of Social Services were also on hand to speak about Medicare.
One borough resident who came to help translate said the language barrier has created an ongoing problem for a friend of his who has had numerous problems with the Medicare program.
"We work. We are legal, but it’s not enough to pay bills. The hospital bills are too high," Sonimar Rosa said. He added that even those immigrants who do speak some English are confused by certain terms that are used.
Larisa Konyukhova, a vocational counselor with the JFVS, reminded the attendees that her agency provides English as a Second Language classes.
Alter said that language plays a huge part in the problems immigrants may face when they come here. But as many of the experts said last week, agencies throughout the state and nation publish much of their literature in a variety of languages and often staff people who speak different languages.
Garretson said he hopes to hold similar programs in the future so more immigrants can find resources and answers.
For more information about the open house or the immigration experts who spoke last week, contact Alter at (732) 777-1940.