This is an important question that people should ask. Not only does the organization receive large amounts of government funding, resettle large numbers of people, but it also sends a signal to the outside world that it is THE place to send refugees in need of care.
In other words, more than once when I have taken refugees to places like the New York State One-stop Job Center, the state mandated and tax funded office that is supposed to assist all legal residents of the area with job-hunting, the secretary or someone else has suggested to me that I take the person, the refugee in need of work, down to the refugee center as this is supposed to be THEIR job. However, being familiar with the refugee center (and its very dedicated but completely overwhelmed job placement people)I know darn well that that is not an effective solution. In other words, the existence of the refugee center (USCRI-Albany) gives many people in social services the feeling that things are being taken care of when anyone familiar with the refugee center (USCRI-Albany) knows that they are not being handled properly.
Not too long ago a refugee invited me to attend an event where a spokesperson for USCRI-Albany stated that USCRI-Albany is an organization that helps refugees when they come to our area. In fact, USCRI-Albany is an organization that invites refugees to our area, promises the state department they will care for them, receives payment for doing so from the state department, and then, sometimes, only sometimes, actually cares for them in a responsible manner.
Critics will point out that although the State Department does contract and fund these services the actual amount received per refugee is not very much. Not nearly enough to do the required job? So, they might say, what's the big deal.
Well, if one looks into USCRI-Albany and its parent organization you soon discover that its head, Lavinia Limon, makes about $200,000 a year, arguably in line with that of CEOs of other not-for-profits, but inarguably that's $200,000 that does not go to helping refugees. (And then there's also employment for Peter Limon, another employee of USCRI, who may or may not be a relative.) Therefore, and you can ask around and check on this yourself, it seems that although USCRI-Albany is not terribly good at providing services for refugee families in desperate need, it actually quite well at taking care of the Limon family down in Washington D.C.
So to who else does USCRI-Albany consistently provide real benefit?
College interns. These come and go in the midst of the chaos and they get to set up some really great programs and build up a wonderful resume. Unfortunately, as often as not, within six months after they leave, the programs fall apart but that's okay because this provides an opportunity for the programs to be re-built and recreated and therefore add to someone else's resume.
Some might note that in a previous exchange a youth named Una Hardester proudly posted about a valid sounding USCRI-Albany program to work against housing discrimination for refugees. Note that this program is long gone. This is the pattern down at USCRI-Albany. Although things regularly fall apart this is actually a bonus for the program if we see it not as an agency designed to provide services for refugees but instead as an agency intended to assist college students who wish an exciting and rewarding internship.
Same for the improvements I attempted to install in the furniture program. Long gone, fallen apart, someone somewhere someday will rebuild them although in a slightly different form, put them on his or her resume and tell others about their wonderful internship with this program, and then, inevitably, they will collapse into dust again.
This is the pattern.
Meanwhile the young, 20-something dedicated employees are stuck in the middle of this mess assuming that this is inevitably the way things should be. Too busy to tell their central office they need more warning before refugees arrive, and too fearful of their jobs to tell the central office that maybe they cannot provide contracted services if they have no control over the number of people who arrive.
Not to mention, the refugees who are usually scared to death at the very thought of filing a complaint against someone who controls the future of their family and handles their green card applications.
Alas, alas.
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Peter Limon is Lavinia Limon's brother. It's a family operation all right. I'm a former employee. As we used to say, "When life gives you Limones, ...keep your head down and don't ask questions...or else..."
ReplyDeleteI found this post when searching USCRI because I wanted an internship there. What I've read is extremely unfortunate. I really want to work with refugee populations, but obviously I need a starting ground. Do you have any advice? I am just graduating from college, looking for real life experience. I live in New York (albany area) but would be willing to travel. This is a shot in the dark, but I thought it was worth asking. Any advice? Any help? Thanks for your time...
ReplyDeleteFirst, many people have had wonderful intern experiences at USCRI Albany. (In fact, I said this in the article.) And, I wish to say again, the staff is usually very dedicated (about two thirds, IMHO, although many are naive and in the wrong positions. The other one third is burnt out and keeping their jobs because this is the best job they can hope for. Often, but not always, these are the ones with few skill but a knowledge of exotic languages. When I worked there these idiots kept getting us threatened by the landlord because, well, they were idiots who did idiotic things and saw no need to follow the landlord's rules. i.e. they would throw furniture in places where the landlord had specifically told us not to put it, after being told that it was becoming a serious issue, and then think it was funny that they did so. Morons.) Just understand that the organization has several flaws thrust upon it by the national organization's policies. (i.e. taking as many refugees as possible with often less than a week's warning. This is completely unnecessary, as the refugees themselves are given a month's notice of their transfer, but it is the way USCRI does things.)
ReplyDeleteSecondly, if you volunteer at USCRI, you will be helping refugees. And if you help refugees then you can often make a difference in their lives. I expect you will find the organization itself often more trouble than it's often worth, but you will be helping refugees.
Thirdly, if you plan on staying in Albany, then you might contact the Emmaus Methodist Church or Catholic Family Services as they both provide services to refugees without too many strings attached. There are several other churches in the area that assist refugees but these often proselytize. (This is not, IMHO, quite as black and white an issue as it sounds. For instance, many Karen from Burma are evangelical Christians and approve whole-heartedly of proselytizing for their faith. Therefore they join a like minded church.)
Refugees also attend the Burmese Buddhist temple in Rensellaer, the local mosques and, although I do not know, the few Hindus might have hooked up with the local Hindu temple. You might try calling upon them to see if they can guide you in the right direction. I think it's safe to say they would probably love to hear from someone who wishes to understand and help people like them.
Also, Literacy Volunteers and other organizations are often providing needed services for refugees, including free English and GED tutoring.
Somewhere on this blog is an out-of-date list of the organizations that bring in refugees from abroad. You could contact these organizations directly.
idealist.org regularly posts many job and volunteer opportunities that involve refugees (as well as helping other kinds of people.)
Fourthly, there are dozens or more of organizations that work with refugees all over the world. I do not claim to be an expert on these. They often would love to have an enthusiastic, skilled person who is willing to work for free. (Who wouldn't?) and you'd be doing good in the world.
I really do not know how to go about researching these but in today's world it is easier to research them than ever before. I suggest, if nothing else seems to work, that you just try googling and reading blogs. You might try key words that include refugee "hot spots" like the Sudan or Mae Sot, Thailand.
My guess is that as with most research, once you tap into the vein, and hit the first information and start digging and asking around, the information will flow. you've just got to find the network where people discuss these things. All the best and feel free to ask again if you need more assistance. All the best.
Another option is to search the Friends f Refugee blog and see what they have to say about different organizations.
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