By Isabel Soloaga, IRC Online Content Volunteer

Contending with life challenges during a pandemic is already difficult for most Americans, but it can be particularly burdensome for refugees, asylees and other special immigrants who are learning to navigate U.S. systems.

Enter IRC NorCal’s Access to Public Benefits program, which helps clients solve immediate crises in their lives. The program, pioneered by the IRC in San Jose, expanded to its Sacramento, Oakland and Turlock/Modesto offices last year after the IRC in Northern California received a donation from the New York Times Neediest Cases Fund.

Through personalized assistance, APB caseworkers help beneficiaries keep safe and off the streets by assisting with access to hospitals, referrals for mental health services and abuse hotlines, and benefits such as food stamps. In the process, clients learn about which public benefits are available and how to attain them.

“It’s a one-stop shop where clients can get everything they need,” said IRC NorCal’s first Access to Public Benefits (APB) Caseworker, Asefeh Mazraeh of the IRC in San Jose.

 

San Jose: The Start of the Program

Asefeh laid the groundwork for the APB program after the IRC in San Jose secured a small initial grant in 2018. At the time, it was only an idea. “I started the program from scratch,” Asefeh recalled. Her trailblazing efforts set a model for other offices to follow.

Today, the services Asefeh and other APB Caseworkers provide connect a diverse range of clients to services such as eviction avoidance, assistance with utility bills, employment support, transportation services and more. Just this past month, Asefeh helped obtain food assistance for an asylee client who, at 7 months pregnant, didn’t have anywhere else to turn.

Many clients are new to the country, illiterate, and unaware of the benefits and support available to them. This program changes that.

“With APB, that support is there,” Asefeh said.

Although the program is open to anyone, in San Jose the program focuses on support for asylees. Asylees arrive in the United States and apply for protection. Unlike refugees, who petition for asylum from overseas, asylees have no assigned caseworker to help them get settled in the United States. Many do not realize their rights to access public benefits, or even that this kind of support exists.

Asefeh has worked with the IRC for almost six years. “I love working with the IRC because I was a refugee myself,” she said. “I understand what immigrants and refugees go through, and how much they appreciate the support they do get.”

Today, she uses her personal experience to support her clients: “When my clients are frustrated and are close to giving up, I can tell them from personal experience: ‘It will get better, just hang in there.’”

Last year, with just one staff member — herself — Asefeh served more than 160 clients.

She hopes that the APB Program can one day be incorporated into all of the IRC’s offices. “The need is there,” she said. Moreover, the need continues to grow.

As of 2021, the other three Northern California offices have followed the San Jose office’s lead to provide APB services to beneficiaries.

 

Oakland

Parwin Adina leads the Oakland Access to Public Benefits Program. Their program, which started in December 2020, already has served more than 30 clients.

“This is a tough time for everyone,” she says. With this program, she is able to help both her clients and the larger community.

Parwin follows a two-step process when assisting clients: first, she conducts an intake and collects all necessary documentation. Then, she refers, coaches and connects clients to the benefits and services available to them based on their needs. Anyone can call and receive one-on-one support to access the public benefits available to them.

Her efforts are rewarded by the joy she hears in her clients’ voices, she says. Oakland’s program offers a much-need resource to the wider community. With the changes under the Biden administration, she expects demand for resource navigation services to grow.

 

Turlock

“Last night, I got a call at 12 a.m. The week before, it was 4 a.m. But I am just happy to be helping people,” says Mahmood Ahmadi, APB Caseworker at the IRC in Turlock/Modesto. This is just one day like any other for Mahmood. “I am counting my hours with IRC, but I am really working with clients all the time.”

Mahmood arrived in the United States from Afghanistan in 2017, and he plays a pivotal role in his community. When COVID-19 brought the world to a standstill in 2020, he joined an Afghan community group to better connect his community to the resources they needed.

When interviewed for the APB Caseworker position, he told his now coworker, “I already do this job, but for free.” By working with the IRC, Mahmood now serves in new ways by connecting clients from all backgrounds to essential resources.

“Most of our clients are illiterate,” he said. “They need help. Even simple things become difficult.”

Mahmood understands his role as both a facilitator and teacher. While he diligently connects clients who need immediate services, he also encourages them to learn essential skills needed for self-sufficiency such as memorizing their telephone numbers, signing their names and writing checks.

 

Sacramento

Since starting as the Public Benefits Caseworker at the IRC in Sacramento in December 2020, Mohammad Ibrahim Mahmoodi has made over 35 referrals. An immigrant himself, Mohammad recalled having very few support networks in place when he arrived in Sacramento. This program changes that, and Mohammad has high hopes for the program. 

“One small thing will lead to many big changes,” he said.

Today, with the challenges brought on by COVID-19, Mohammad attests that the majority of clients he serves are struggling with eviction avoidance.

“It’s both refugees and U.S. citizens who are calling. They are people with families, with children.”

One such client was a single mom and longtime resident of Sacramento who lost her job due to the pandemic. With a family of seven to support and one family member with a disability, she found herself months behind on utilities bills. Mohammad connected her directly to resources that enabled her to pay the bills her family needed. “It’s great to bring a smile to people’s faces, especially when it’s not just one person, but seven,” he said.

“It gives you a sense of happiness when you’re directly impacting their lives,” Mohammad added. “You feel a huge sense of pride.”

The IRC in NorCal continues to be responsive to community needs. Unrestricted donations from generous donors made expanding these APB services possible.