Over the seven months since the onset of the coronavirus pandemic and initial shut-down of many businesses and services, the IRC in Baltimore has provided employment support services to over 250 humanitarian immigrants across the metropolitan area. This includes helping clients access safety net resources like food support or unemployment insurance, while simultaneously looking for new and better jobs to support their families.

We offer three client stories that inspire us:

Thuraya arrived in Baltimore from Sudan and was successfully resettled by the IRC in the summer of 2019. She reached out to the office in the spring of 2020 when she was laid off from a job during COVID shutdowns. Thuraya worked diligently with her IRC employment specialist to brainstorm childcare options and to secure a temporary job at Amazon. Using tips learned from IRC’s pre-employment coaching sessions about job applications and interviews, Thuraya then applied for a promotion to a permanent position. She is now employed and supporting her family through her job as an essential worker at Amazon.

The Ayala family arrived in Baltimore from El Salvador in the fall of 2018 and the father, Juan, initially secured a job through friends. However he returned to the IRC this spring when he lost his job due to layoffs resulting from COVID. IRC assisted him with accessing unemployment insurance and also securing a new job at a local company in food production. Juan contracted COVID from his workplace, but has since fully recovered and returned to work.

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Photo: Jose

Prior to coming to the US, Juan’s son Jose was a first-year nursing student and had worked as a pharmacist. Jose knew he wanted to continue his career in healthcare, but he prioritized learning English and financially supporting himself through a job in the fast-food industry. In the fall of 2019, Jose was selected to enroll in a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) /Geriatric Nursing Assistant (GNA) certificate program at the Community College of Baltimore County, sponsored by the IRC. In February 2020, Jose became a licensed GNA and recently landed a job as a GNA at a skilled nursing facility. Jose is excited to be working in healthcare again, and hopes to eventually continue his studies in nursing. The Ayala family is proud to be working in essential food production and health care positions in the community.

If you are interested in supporting our work and clients, please consider making a financial donation to our office or purchasing Visa or Giant gift cards for our clients from our Amazon Wishlist.