Neighbors Link Corporation

Family center education for parents and children: family center's parent-child together programs are designed to reinforce and enhance a parent's ability to improve their children's cognitive and social skills. Parents learn critical techniques to motivate and inspire their children. The family center philosophy includes the concept that parents are their child's first teachers and bicultural children benefit from parenting that is relevant to both cultures. The primary goals for the family center are to address the urgent need to improve social readiness among the families that we serve; to close the widening achievement gap between immigrant children and their peers and to raise college-bound children - thus breaking the family cycle of poverty. Family center also provides two academic enrichment programs for elementary school children that need added support in reading and math skills. The learning links after school program runs all school year and the summer links program operates for five weeks in the summer. In 2023, 1,471 parents and children were served by the family center education programs. Family and individual support services: in 2023, our 1:1 case management work remained higher than pre-covid period serving 1,173 unique clients most significantly in food distribution, housing through the migrant assistance program (map) and crisis interventions. In conjunction with map, in 2023, Neighbors Link secured housing and paid 495,018 for rent and utilities for 26 families from new york city shelters and provided 1:1 support for 208 cases.

Adult education and workforce development english for speakers of other languages (esol) programs support full integration for immigrants in our community. In partnership with westchester community college, we have structured classroom instruction and through the work of hundreds of volunteers we have tutoring and conversation classes. In 2023, 1,585 clients were served, more than doubling from 2022. Neighbors Link workforce education programs include leadership skills training, such as leadership council and the office for new americans workforce workshops. They provide tools to help our clients strengthen their leadership, decision making and problem-solving skills. Workforce education also includes our newly formed carreras y caminos (careers & pathways) programs in 2023 with technology programming training, workshops and a business center that reached close to 500 unique clients in its first year. We also provide occupational safety and health administration (osha) and eco-cleaning training. Neighbors Link worker center facilitates connections to employment through our hiring site and job bank. Employers visit the hiring site and may choose their own workers or use a lottery system that was developed by the workers. Employers and workers negotiate pay and terms of employment. The job bank is typically conducted by our website and connects the employer and worker based on specific skills. In 2023, 481 unique workers and 771 unique employers used the worker center.

Neighbors Link community law practice(nlclp) nlclp, the law department of Neighbors Link, is a leader in the provision of immigration legal services in westchester county and throughout the hudson valley. Our dynamic team consists of eight experienced immigration attorneys, six department of justice accredited representatives, 10 paralegals and admin support and a dedicated team of volunteer attorneys. We are a community based pro bono legal services practice providing comprehensive and holistic services in legal matters ranging from rapid response, removal defense and other affirmative filings as well as community education and legal advocacy. In 2023, 1,879 immigration legal cases in both limited scope and direct representation were managed by nlclp. In 2023, 2,966 unique clients were served. In addition, nlclp served 696 people at virtual and in person "know your rights" presentations and 712 people at consultation and clinic days.

Advocacy and outreach program the expertise of our staff is sought out by partners, allies, and immigrant community members alike. Neighbors Link develops content and ran 88 special topic training sessions and reached over 4,560 people. Neighbors Link strongly supports budgets and policies that respect the dignity of each human and recognize the contributions made by immigrants. In 2023 we supported key legislative and/or budget issues campaigns that will lead to a more equitable community. In 2023, we attended 18 advocacy lobbying events and 22 advocacy action events and worked with over 500 allies. Reset in 2022, nl became a fiscal sponsor for reset westchester, inc. an organization consisting of volunteers. In 2023, 6 refugee families were welcomed, supported and integrated into the community.