Fatiha left Morocco to join her two adult sons in the United States nine years after her husband died. She had never worked a day in her life outside the home and had very limited education. Since 2017, she has been studying in The Immigrant Learning Center’s Literacy Program. She comes to class in the afternoon and works at the YMCA from 6:00 to 11:00 p.m. Starting this January, she’s been volunteering for the WIC (Women, Infants and Children) Program in Malden one weekend a month. Thanks to you, Fatiha is learning to read, write, listen and speak in English. Thanks to Fatiha, community members get to enjoy a clean YMCA, and others less fortunate than she get some help putting food on the table.

I love this story because it illustrates two traits all immigrants share: the courage to start over and the contributions they make to their new communities. By supporting The ILC, you support her, and she supports others. Everything we do has a ripple effect. Last week’s attacks in New Zealand reminded me of this in a most tragic way. From the Battle of Lexington in 1775 to the latest Twitter war, Americans have always had an impact on the world. I explored this on The ILC blog in a post called Shots Heard Round the World. I would be honored if you would take a moment to read it.

Thank you for everything you do to make the world a better place.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Diane Portnoy
Founder and CEO
The Immigrant Learning Center, Inc.

Student Businesses

You may have heard that immigrants are highly entrepreneurial. It’s true, and our students are no exception. Check out the selection of The ILC student-run businesses on our website.

The Immigrant Learning Center®, Inc. (ILC) of Malden, MA, is a not-for-profit organization that gives immigrants a voice in three ways. The English Language Program provides free, year-round English classes to immigrant and refugee adults in Greater Boston to help them become successful workers, parents and community members. The Public Education Institute informs Americans about the economic and social contributions of immigrants in our society, and the Institute for Immigration Research, a joint venture with George Mason University, conducts research on the economic contributions of immigrants.