For 41 years, ACLAMO Family Center has been a reliable provider of social, educational, health, and employment services for low-income Latino communities in Montgomery County. ACLAMO serves about 5,000 children and adults each year. Through integrated services for the entire family, ACLAMO bridges gaps in language and culture to ensure access to essential resources. ACLAMO’s services include: health care navigation, health education, and screenings; housing, food, and employment referrals and case management; ESL, family literacy, pre-school, afterschool and summer bridge programs; and immigration assistance. Today, ACLAMO remains the only full-service, bilingual organization for Latino residents in the county. ACLAMO’s one-stop approach means that clients with multiple needs can receive assistance resolving those needs without having to go to multiple providers. This year ACLAMO was recognized as the 2017 Statewide Afterschool Champion for outstanding work in developing, supporting and promoting meaningful high-quality afterschool/out-of-school time programs to benefit children, youth and families. ACLAMO has been a member of PICC for many years. PICC is a key partner in the movement to find justice for immigrants.

As we all digest the results of yesterday’s election, and what it means for our communities and Pennsylvania, it is time to think about what is next. Voting is important, and who wins an election can have a profound impact on our lives. But voting is not enough! After the election is over, it is all of our responsibility to hold elected officials accountable and make sure they act in the interest of all residents, immigrants, citizens, and refugees alike.

If you are not sure where to start, we have some suggestions!

Last month, PICC traveled to Mighty Writers El Futuro to support students as they navigate the education system. We worked with College Possible, an organization that specializes in college admission, to ensure that immigrant and undocumented students are aware that they can also access higher education. We were incredibly inspired by the student leadership in the room – the students showed interest in taking action so that future students would not face some of the barriers that they are experiencing. This is one example of the Education Justice sessions that PICC is hosting about the Welcoming Schools Campaign and about immigrant rights in the PA education system. We want to work with immigrant and refugee parents and students from 5th – 12th grade to better understand and support their needs in the education and immigration systems. Are you connected to a student or parent group that may be interested in hosting a session? If so, please fill out our Education Speaking Request form and we will work together to determine the best presentation for your community. For more information, please contact Carly at piccintern@paimmigrant.org or 215-832-3482.

See our website for our full Calendar of Events, including events from our member organizations.

Family Readiness and Know Your Rights Workshop (Lancaster)
Church World Service-Lancaster

Through this workshop, you will be equipped with an understanding of your basic rights, or the rights of someone you may know who encounters Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Additionally, we will walk you through the necessary steps for your family to be prepared in the event that you or a loved one is detained. Registration for this free program is required. For more information, visit the event Facebook page here.

When: Wednesday, Nov 7th, 5:30 - 7:00PM
Where: Lancaster Public Library

November Community Navigator Trainings (Lancaster)

PICC will be hosting a series of Navigator trainings in Lancaster from Nov. 7-Nov.17. The Community Navigator Training curriculum is designed to provide community members and allies with the knowledge and skills necessary to help their neighbors understand their rights and assist with a variety of immigration services, including comprehensive legal screenings, citizenship applications, and deportation defense packets.  Participants will be trained to: Conduct public information sessions; Lead workshops on Know Your Rights and Deportation Defense; Collaborate with families to complete Deportation Defense Packets; Organize legal clinics to provide comprehensive screening and naturalization assistance with attorneys and/or DOJ accredited representatives present

Participants can attend one or all six sessions. Those wishing to become PICC Certified Community Navigators must complete all six workshops. To learn more about the individual workshops, visit our website. Interpretation and childcare are available upon request for all sessions. Register now!

Monthly Youth Call: November

Monthly Youth calls are every 2nd Wednesday of the month. This call is for youth ages 14-25 in PA interested in learning how to engage with immigrant rights work. We will cover different topics each week. Topics are selected by our youth membership. Register here!

When: Wednesday, Nov 14th, 7:30PM - 8:30PM

Please Donate to PICC!

PICC depends upon your support. Please donate to PICC today to support our advocacy and organizing work to mobilize the immigrant vote, build immigrant leaders, campaign for pro-immigrant policies at the local, state and federal levels, and support the effective implementation of pro-immigrant public policies.