The Language Interpretation Service (LIS) is International House’s newest referral program. Launched on September 1, 2004, LIS offers to healthcare facilities within the Novant Healthcare (Presbyterian Hospital) system 24-hour access to qualified interpreters in a wide variety of languages.

Dedicated volunteers Alfredo Solis, Memuna Williams helped develop the program. And now with the assistance of Rashard Ray, they oversee the program, which was created to address the needs of the growing international community and to offer support for human services providers.

LIS has raised the standard for quality interpretation. Our interpreters are trained by the curriculum developers themselves according to International House and Novant Healthcare guidelines. While the partnership with Novant Healthcare is our first venture, Executive Director Jose Hernandez-Paris plans to expand the program to include other human services providers and add an evaluation component to ensure the quality of interpreters. We are currently training interpreters of all languages.

For more information on the Language Interpretation Services, please call 704-333-8099 Ext. 37

From July 12 – August 2, Community Connections had the privilege to host a delegation of 10 education, business and religious leaders and professionals from Kazakhstan. They were in Charlotte for a program on “Religious Diversity: Islam in the U.S.”, to assist them in the transition to a democratic and market-oriented society. The country of Kazakhstan is located in Central Asia, deep in the Eurasian continent.

Community Connections staff, volunteers, and supporters were particularly intrigued by the possibilities with this group, as it would be Charlotte’s first Community Connections program designed for a Muslim population from the Former Soviet Republics. Thanks to the implementation of this program theme, staff and long-time supporters of this State Department program benefited in numerous ways. To say the least, they gained new insight and understanding of the Muslim community, they made friends with extraordinary people from Kazakhstan, and they connected even more strongly with the local Muslim community.

The delegation, which included English and non-English speaking delegates, spent time in Charlotte for an intensive three week training program. They had the opportunity to meet with numerous local organizations that would provide them with a better understanding of religion in the U.S. Visitors experienced cultural, diversity and leadership seminars, learned about local government, and diversity in different education and religious systems. Visitors were also embraced by the warmth of Islamic organizations including Carolina Association of Muslim Professionals, Muslim politicians, the Arab-American Association, the Council on American-Islamic Relations, and local Islamic schools, mosques, and centers. In the evenings, the visitors lived with local home host families and attended various cultural activities. Indeed, the program title “Community Connections” certainly rings true for this program.

Community Connections is one of two U.S. State Department programs that make up International House’s Citizen Diplomacy Programs. Citizen Diplomacy Programs will be hosting upcoming professional exchanges:

Throughout October, International Visitors Program will host programs including: “Combating Financial Violence” for a group of 5 head auditors, regulators and tax officials from Bosnia-Herzegovina, “Youth Leadership” for 13 heads of different youth organizations from numerous parts of the world, and “European Regional Foreign Policy” for 6 lead journalists, political party representatives and government ministry representatives.

In November, Community Connections will host 10 youth leader delegates from Russia for a program on “Youth Advocacy.”

For more information call Lara Printz at 704-342-2248 or email her at lprintz@ihclt.org

International House is pleased to provide our members with an update on the Immigrant Advocacy Project (IAP). Since its inception two years ago, IAP has counseled, assisted, or referred over 450 individuals with immigration and citizenship questions and issues. We have entered into retainer agreements with approximately 90 individuals, legally representing them before the U.S. Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services (CIS).

As IAP has evolved, it has developed a specialty in low-income family immigration. We have assisted scores of low-income families eligible for Permanent Resident status or some other form of relief to properly prepare and file applications with CIS. In addition, we provide several consultations every week during which we offer reliable advice about why people should (or should not) apply to CIS for benefits.

This past year, David Stewart, our Immigration Attorney, began teaching immigration law for paralegals at CPCC. This fruitful CPCC relationship has led to a flow of paralegal students who volunteer with IAP and help prepare letters to clients, forms for filing, and other important help. Our paralegal volunteers have themselves often been through an immigration process, hailing as they have from Colombia, Peru, Chile, Serbia, and Egypt. True to International House’s tradition of cross-cultural understanding, IAP has many languages available in-house, and is often able to provide services in our clients’ native tongues.

Over the past two years, we have had great opportunities to make a difference for Charlotte area residents. One case that we worked on involved a woman from Africa who was one year away from completing her degree; without our help, she and her two young children would certainly have been deported. We were able to introduce evidence of persecution in her home country that allowed her to continue her studies here. Another case involved a woman from Eastern Europe who had come to the U.S. to marry an American man. Unfortunately, he kept her and her young child in a remote trailer park with no phone or transportation. When she tried to complain, he threatened to have her deported. We were able to help her apply for protection as the battered spouse of a U.S. citizen. And we have enjoyed working closely with our next-door neighbor, St. John’s Baptist Church, by assisting several Sudanese refugees that they have sponsored with applications for Refugee Travel Documents and Permanent Resident applications.

We have been able to help many people because there are so many who find themselves in need at the moment. Tens of thousands of people are living and working in Charlotte without proper legal documentation. Unscrupulous employers, family members, or service providers often take advantage of them; unfamiliar with our language and culture, they have nowhere to turn. International House is proud to offer them a familiar and trusted place where they can go for information, advice, and reliable referrals.