Building Community in New Hampshire

Two Food Processors Close; Employees turn to BCNH

Laid Off workers turn to BCNH for help — BCNHsquared When New American workers at two regional food processors got layoff notices, they turned to BCNH for help.

https://www.bcinnh.org/news/learn-english-at-bcnh

Learn English at BCNH — BCNHsquared BCNH teaches English to Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) in our office on Elm Street in Manchester every Tuesday and Thursday morning. To sign up for a class, please drop in on Tuesday, September 3, or Thursday, September 5, at any time between 9 and noon to meet instructor Kathy Higgins Consoli.

BCNH is proud to have hired Kenly Jacques to serve New Hampshire’s rapidly growing Haitian Community as a case manager.

Jacques (pronounced like Jack’s) has lived in Manchester since his arrival in the United States in November. “He contacted BCNH in February to ask for help and we immediately recognized his ability to help other Haitians navigate their way to safe and productive lives in New Hampshire,” said Vijay Bhujel, Deputy Director. In addition to speaking Haitian Creole, Jacques speaks French, Spanish, and excellent English.

Jacques was just completing high school in 2010 when the Western Hemisphere’s deadliest earthquake hit Haiti. Instead of going on to college, he worked two years as an interpreter for the Canadian Red Cross in Haiti, then two more years as a stock supervisor for Oxfam, a British organization supplying food aid throughout the country. After three years as a tour guide and chauffeur for Auberge du Quebec outside Port-au-Prince, he started working as a customer service manager for a firm selling hair-care products.

The U.S. Government welcomed Jacques to the United States as a “humanitarian parolee,” the same immigration status that has allowed friends of the United States in Afghanistan and Ukrainians seeking refuge from Russia’s invasion to resettle in America. (The immigration term “parole’ has nothing to do with criminal behavior or jail; in fact, all parolees are carefully screened by US agents before being allowed into the country and being granted work authorization documents.) The same 2023 policy that applies to certain Haitians also includes certain Cubans, Nicaraguans, and Hondurans.

Jacques’ cultural background and language skills will allow BCNH to provide these new groups with the same kinds of services we provide other refugees, starting with finding them jobs with New Hampshire employers eager to recruit New American talent.

As we light our lamps, let’s celebrate the mosaic of traditions that make us stronger together. Wishing you a Diwali filled with the richness of diverse experiences. Happy Diwali from all of us at the Building Community in New Hampshire!

Kateryna Nazarova, one of BCNH's two Ukrainian case managers, will appear with US Senator Jeanne Shaheen and Alex Ray at 12:45 on October 6 in an event sponsored by the World Affairs Council of New Hampshire. To register to attend the event in person or online, register here:

World Affairs Council of New Hampshire - Staying the Course in Ukraine: Why Western Support is Vital In light of the recent discussions surrounding the importance of continued support for Ukraine, join the World Affairs Council of New Hampshire's global community for a moderated conversation with U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen, , and Alex Ray. This global discussion, centered in New Hampshire, will pr...

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