by changer | Oct 21, 2013 | News
CMS staff and volunteers work with legally qualified permanent residents to take the critical step to becoming American citizens.
On Saturday October 19th Catholic Migration Services hosted a Citizenship Application Assistance Workshop at St.James Cathedral in downtown Brooklyn, Over 80 permanent residents worked with staff and volunteers to complete their citizenship applications.
CMS is a part of The New Americans Campaign to provide free and much needed access to legally qualified permanent residents to take the critical step to becoming American citizens. The process to obtain citizenship can be confusing and complex. Limited knowledge about the path to citizenship and costly fees can make the process more difficult for legal residents. However, the benefits is worth the trouble. When new Americans gain the rights, freedoms and responsibilities of citizenship they contribute more fully to their communities. (more…)
by changer | Oct 18, 2013 | News
Wednesday October 16, 2013
Telemundo featured Catholic Migration Services in a live broadcast highlighting the upcoming Citizenship Application Assistance Workshop. On Saturday October 19th CMS will be hosting a Citizenship Application Assistance Workshop at St. James Cathedral in downtown Brooklyn. This event is a part of a larger initiative of The New Americans Campaign in which a national network of legal-service providers, faith -based organizations, businesses, foundations and community leaders help to pave the way for legally qualified permanent residents to become American citizens. All across the nation the workshops are free and they provide people with knowledge about the process to naturalization.
Julia Hernandez staff attorney at CMS speaks on Telemundo about CMS’ upcoming Citizenship Application Assistance Workshop.
Click here to see the interview. (more…)
by changer | Oct 17, 2013 | News
Frederik Stefani, Immigration Operations Manager speaks about the different pathways to naturalization and citizenship.
On Wednesday October 9th Frederik Stefani, Immigration Operations Manager and Rebecca Rybaltowski, Outreach Assistant hosted an informational session at Mary Queen of Heaven parish to educate people about the immigration process. (more…)
by changer | Oct 14, 2013 | News
Tuesday October 15, 2013
On October 4th and October 11th over 850 attendees representing different immigrant communities in the Brooklyn and the Queens dioceses gathered to celebrate this year’s Shining Star Award recipients. In total 30 leaders who have made major contributions to their church and to their community were honored at Gargiulo’s Restaurant in the Coney Island section of Brooklyn, NY. The recipients of the awards are selected by their respective ethnic communities. All of the recipients of the awards are selected because they have done outstanding work in the church or they are distinctive leaders in their community. They were honored because they bring unity to the people in their communities.
Shinning Star Award recipients with The Most Reverend Raymond Chappetto, D.D., V.G., and Reverend Patrick J. Keating, Chief Executive Officer of Catholic Migration Services.
Guests were welcomed by staff members from Catholic Migration Services and they started their evening with a bountiful cocktail reception. Before the main event began attendees enthusiastically took photographs with The Most Reverend Raymond Chappetto, D.D., V.G., and Reverend Patrick J. Keating, Chief Executive Officer of Catholic Migration Services.
(more…)
by changer | Oct 8, 2013 | News
Monday October 7, 2013
On Saturday October 5th CMS marched across the Brooklyn Bridge for humane and dignified immigration reform alongside hundreds of people on what organizers called a “National Day of Immigrant Dignity and Respect.” Nationwide thousands of supports marched to draw attention to the government passing much needed immigration reform that treats immigrants with dignity and respect and which would serve to unify families.
CMS staff began the day at St. Leo’s church in Corona, Queens where they participated in an 8:00 a.m. mass. The topic of the homily was rooted in the universal and ancient history of migration. The priest emphasized the Church’s support for equality for all and he emphasized that everyone in American should have the same opportunities. After the mass parishioners gathered for an immigration forum where people were encouraged to speak about their own immigration stories or reflect on how immigration has impacted their families or their communities. The central premise of the forum highlighted the fractures within families that have been created because of the stall in progressive immigration reform. Some participants spoke about their personal difficulties accessing basic benefits because their parents are undocumented even though they themselves are documented.
Rebecca and Benjamin representing CMS at a rally before the march across the Brooklyn Bridge.
After the forum CMS staff alongside Faith in New York marched from the church to Corona Plaza where they boarded buses that would take them to Cadman Plaza in downtown Brooklyn. Once there our staff members were joined by hundreds of organizations and participants.
The march across the Brooklyn Bridge was (more…)
by changer | Oct 3, 2013 | News
Thursday October 3, 2013
CMS and the Queens Housing Collation were featured in a video which outlines how the plans for the redevelopment of Willets Point excludes a legal guarantee for affordable housing and for the group relocation of the 250 auto mechanical businesses that have been in the area for over 15 years. The Queens Housing Coalition and CMS are drawing attention to the workers and residents of the Willets Point community who deserve a voice in the redevelopment of their community.
In 2008 city officials and local community advocates agreed upon a plan to redevelop the area into a new mix used area. The plan offered benefits to the community such as a new school, a community center and it promised to relocate the workers displaced by the project. This (more…)
by changer | Sep 30, 2013 | News
Monday September 30, 2013
On Wednesday evening on September 26th the Queens Housing Coalition and Catholic Migration Services gathered with community members for the first meeting of the fall at St. Sebastian Parish. The gathering set a much energized tone for the upcoming year. Ivan Contreras, QHC coordinator spoke about the upcoming actions and the latest news on the plans for redevelopment of the Willets Point area. The emphasis of the discussion was the idea that affordable housing needed to be a non –negotiable factor in the plans for Willets Point. There were approximately 90 people present as strategies and ideas were exchanged. (more…)
by changer | Sep 18, 2013 | News
Wednesday, September 18, 2013
Catholic Migration services is pleased to partner with The New Americans Campaign. This is a multi-state campaign to help legally qualified aspiring citizens navigate the path to becoming new Americans. Their major points of success are breaking down the barriers that people face during the naturalization process.
Take four minutes to see and hear about the the work that the New Americans Campaign undertakes and the difference that they have made.
Look out for a special feature of one of our very own immigration attorneys Sharone Schwartz-Kaufman.
Click here to see the video.
by changer | Sep 10, 2013 | More News
Wednesday, September 4, 2013
On Wednesday, CMS’ Legal Director Robert McCreanor was interviewed on Telemundo’s live morning program, Buenas Dias Nueva York, where he discussed immigration reform and the supportive initiatives of the Catholic Church in this regard.
Robert emphasized that Congress has not yet enacted comprehensive immigration reform and, therefore, that for most undocumented immigrants there is no law through which they can become legal citizens of the United States. (more…)
by changer | Sep 10, 2013 | More News
Wednesday, September 4, 2013
On Wednesday night, Catholic Migration Services, New York Immigration Coalition, Health First, Health and Hospitals Corporation, and Arab American Family Support Center participated in a town hall meeting to discuss the impact that the healthcare reform would have on immigrant communities. A panel discussed the new healthcare reform and its impact on the immigrant community. The discussion was held at the New York Immigration Coalition offices on 137-139 West 25th Street in New York, NY.
Approximately 30 people gathered to hear panelists discuss the future of health care services, the different ways that organizations can do outreach in immigrant communities so that they can understand how they can benefit from the healthcare reforms.
For more information on access to affordable health care and health insurance, please visit: www.fideliscare.org
