English as a Second Language (ESL) Classes
In partnership with Greater Framingham Community Church, Hospitality Common will host a 12-week session (3 days per week) beginners’ ESL course in the Framingham and larger MetroWest area. Immigrants, refugees and others who would benefit greatly from small-group English instruction for everyday use are welcome.
Critical Needs Distribution Network for Refugees in Boston Metrowest
Massachusetts continues to see many refugees settling within its borders each year, including nearly 700 in 2019. Resources and provisions for newly arrived refugees are often limited, and many refugees come from cultures deeply rooted in relational communities that differ from our own social structures. Thus, lacking a supportive network of family and friends and burdened with a new language to learn, the work of acclimating to unfamiliar surroundings can be a great struggle with even the basic necessities of life being difficult to obtain.
To help ease the burden faced by refugees as they integrate into a new society, HCI is developing a team of volunteers to begin providing essential supplies to refugees in the Boston Metrowest area beginning in March 2021. This team of volunteers will meet a number of urgent needs for refugees including delivery of food, access to transportation, and provision of home supplies such as bedding and furniture.
Community Learning Centers
With many schools going online for the 2020-2021 academic year, parents and guardians are scrambling to find a way to continue working while children learn from home. This is especially acute for refugee families who have access to limited resources.
HCI seeks to partner with families, local partners and school districts to provide a safe, engaging place for a small group of children to meet regularly to learn, assist with remote/hybrid learning curriculum, and socialize together until schools are able to safely resume in-person learning. Support for our students includes the following:
- Help accessing and participating in online classes,
- Access to healthy food and snacks,
- Weekly enrichment programming,
- Safe and active play during breaks.
Our educational programming strives to provide opportunities for students to acquire a strong, positive self-image and to develop appropriate social, academic, and decision-making skills. Treated as individuals, students are accepted and encouraged to develop according to their potential.
Each student is taught the value of learning from one another as well as with one another.
Refugee Transitional Housing
Our future goals include transitional housing for documented refugees that provides a safe, welcoming and supportive environment before permanent residence is secured for individuals and families. This will be accomplished mainly through supporting, advising, and/or facilitating the establishment of ‘hospitality houses’, a kind of group home housing approximately 12 refugee guests at a time. Homes will also include a resident host family, staff and a select group of volunteers, who will create and maintain a hospitable, resourced, and well-managed environment. The home will also serve as a conduit for a wider circle of managed community volunteers.
