Last chance to support IIA in 2022

Dear Friend,

Thank you for coming together with the International Institute of Akron to embrace, equip, and empower Akron and Summit County’s immigrant and refugee residents as they settle in and become an integral part of our shared home.

I offer a couple of examples of how—together—we have changed the lives of new Akronites. With your continued support, we can grow our impact even more.

A young couple from Afghanistan, recently arrived in Akron, and gave birth to their first child in June. The baby’s mother wasn’t able to breastfeed, and the hospital gave her formula to feed her son. This was during the formula shortages, and the family struggled to find the specific formula their son needed to thrive. 

IIA Social Services Program Manager Nick Pichichero began searching for the formula and to ensure that it would also be covered by WIC (Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children). He found the formula at Target, but they didn’t accept WIC. He called the WIC office to see if they could cover the cost of the formula, but no such luck. He also contacted doctors to try to get a prescription for the formula. 

Nick called 35 stores in Northeast Ohio to see if they had the formula in stock; no one did. The baby was beginning to lose weight, and his parents were incredibly worried. Eventually, Nick found the right formula in Wooster and used IIA’s unrestricted emergency funds to purchase a several-month supply. The baby’s parents are proud of how big their boy is getting, and grateful to IIA for this life-saving assistance. 

Another example I’d like to share comes from IIA’s outstanding legal team. Recently, an undocumented immigrant in Akron was forced into homelessness and was a victim of assault while living unhoused. A partner service organization that was helping this man brought him into IIA to access our interpreter services. One of IIA’s legal team members worked as an interpreter for the man and noticed that he could use our legal services to secure a long-term visa and no longer live undocumented.  

 IIA’s legal team is now working with this man, pro bono, so that he can live safely in the United States. This work would not be possible without your support for IIA’s legal services.  

We have made many asks of you, our greater Akron community, and you stepped up tremendously. From the Sisters at Our Lady of the Elms arranging transitional housing for our Afghan clients; to the Hudson community for raising funds for a new IIA van; to the individuals donating toys, household items, and resources whenever we put out the call (and in between times too)—we simply could not do the work we do without you.

As 2022 comes to a close, we have one more request. Please help us raise $10,000 by December 31, 2022 to replenish our Emergency Fund. These are the funds we draw on for the unexpected needs—like special baby formula—the needs that cannot be planned for, but are an inevitable part of life.

This Fund is literally a lifeline for IIA clients, and providing that lifeline is part of what we do as an IIA family. Let’s do it together. 

If you’d like to donate, you can do so at https://www.iiakron.org/take-action.


With sincerest gratitude, 

 

Madhu N. Sharma

Executive Director 

November at the International Institute of Akron

There was a lot to be grateful for this month, from welcoming three new IIA hires to sharing a team lunch together for Thanksgiving. We’re excited to share all the IIA November updates with you below!

Welcome to the Team: Hector, Ann, and Megan! 


IIA has welcomed three new staff members to our growing team this month! We’d like to warmly welcome Hector Smith, Ann Gardner, and Megan Morris.


As a Staff Attorney, Hector Smith joined the IIA legal team on November 7th. His day-to-day work included consulting, screening, and discussing services with clients, as well as reviewing cases for court. Before IIA, Hector worked as a prosecutor for Summit County after graduating from the University of Akron School of Law.


Hector emigrated from Jamaica to the United States in 2013 and began working at a hotel in North Carolina. In this role, he felt he couldn’t achieve his dreams of positively affecting American society and providing meaningful work to his community.


Before coming to the United States, Hector received his bachelor’s in law degree from England and decided to pursue his law degree in Akron. He chose to pursue immigration law to best impact his community. Hector’s long-term goal is to open his own immigration law firm while working part-time at a non-profit to help underserved communities.

IIA Staff Attorney, Hector Smith

Like Hector, Ann Gardner joined the IIA legal team this past month as a Staff Attorney to represent clients in court, specializing in family immigration, asylum, removal defense, citizenship, and visas for survivors of crimes and human trafficking. Ann received her law degree from Case Western Reserve University School of Law, specializing in International Human Right Law.

Before joining IIA, Ann worked for eight years in the International Programs Office at Youngstown State University. Her work included helping faculty obtain visas and green cards, promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion, and assisting students in study abroad programs. She decided to make a career change and go into immigration law to impact the lives of refugees and immigrants in Akron positively.

One thing Ann enjoys about her new role at IIA is working with so many refugees and immigrants on the IIA team. She feels lucky to get to know the IIA staff and work with such an incredible team while doing something she loves.

IIA Staff Attorney, Ann Gardner

Last but certainly not least, IIA’s newest Social Services Case Manager recently joined the team, Megan Morris! Her primary responsibilities at IIA include client home visits, taking clients to doctor appointments, purchasing diapers, formula, and infant clothes, and filling out paperwork to sign clients up for social benefits.

Before transitioning to IIA, Megan worked at the Rape Crisis Center in Akron as an advocate for two years; she is currently getting her masters in social work and will graduate with her degree in 2024. She looks forward to working with clients from different cultures and backgrounds and helping refugees and immigrants integrate into their communities.

IIA Social Services Case Manager, Megan Morris

2021 Annual Report


In 2021, IIA continued our mission to enrich the vitality of our community by helping immigrants achieve an empowered life with dignity, connection, and belonging.

We faced many challenges that turned into successes due to the generosity and support of our community in Akron and Summit County.

Learn more about IIA's work in our 2021 Annual Report, now available atAnnual Report 2021.

Staff Spotlight: Bikabe Milanga


Bikabe Malanga, an employment case manager at the International Institute of Akron, is no stranger to the challenges that immigrants and refugees face. He was born in the Democratic Republic of Congo, South Kivu region, but due to war and political instability, he was forced to leave his home when he was ten months old. Bikabe and his family then spent twenty years living in a refugee camp in Tanzania before resettling in Akron.

Learn more about Bikabe’s story and work as an IIA Employment Case Manager on our blog,Staff Spotlight: Bikabe Milanga.

IIA Employment Case Manager, Bikabe Milanga

Thank You, Our Lady of the Elms!


IIA staff had the opportunity to visit a couple of lovely Sisters at Our Lady of the Elms to share stories of the tremendous impact they've had on our clients over the past year.

Last year, these ladies took the initiative to coordinate a transitional housing space for our clients who had recently arrived in Akron and were waiting for permanent housing. The house donated was on Our Lady of the Elms campus and had not been used for some time. Initially, it was a perfect space for Afghan evacuees coming to Akron, but it expanded to help refugees from countries such as Ukraine, Bhutan, and more.

The transitional housing option allowed IIA to place clients in a reliable home until we found comfortable, safe, and permanent housing for families to move into.

The entire IIA is grateful for the beautiful partnership developed with Our Lady of the Elms. We cannot thank their community enough for being so welcoming to Akron's newest residents!

IIA staff with the Sister’s from Our Lady of the Elms

Feeling Grateful for IIA!


Being an IIA team member is like being a part of a big family full of passionate people who want to better their community, and this is something we are incredibly grateful for this Thanksgiving season.

Before the long holiday weekend, IIA staff enjoyed a fantastic turkey lunch with all the best Thanksgiving fixings! It was a lovely afternoon of great food and even better people.

International Institute of Akron to swap office in “International Neighborhood” for downtown in 2023


In January 2023, IIA will be moving our main office from our current location in North Hill to downtown Akron. Our new address will be530 S. Main St., Ste. 1762, Akron, OH 44311.

While our education department will continue to be housed in North Hill at The International House of San Tomasso, our new downtown location will be central to our clients, who reside all across Akron.

An Office Relocation Packet, with parking, bus, and contact information in English, is availablehere. Packets in Pashto, Dari, Swahili, Burmese, and Nepalese will be added soon.

Thanks for staying up to date on everything IIA, and we look forward to sharing more information soon!

Staff Spotlight: Bikabe Milanga

 
 

By Jamie Brian

Bikabe Malanga, an employment case manager at the International Institute of Akron, is no stranger to the challenges that immigrants and refugees face. He was born in the Democratic Republic of Congo, South Kivu region, but due to war and political instability, he was forced to leave his home when he was ten months old. Bikabe and his family then spent twenty years living in a refugee camp in Tanzania before resettling in Akron. 

This experience has shaped how he views his job and the populations IIA serves. 

“My favorite part of my job is feeling all of my own memories from when I just came here as a refugee,” Bikabe said. “Essentially, what they (my case managers) did for me, I’m doing now. I went through that, and now I’m trying to do the same thing for my clients.” 

Bikabe arrived in Akron in 2016 through the International Institute of Akron. He worked as an interpreter and translator before becoming a case manager. He says that working for a nonprofit organization that supports refugees and immigrants is his dream job because he wants to help other refugees resettle in northeast Ohio. 

As an employment case manager, Bikabe guides newcomers to the United States through the process of landing a job. He coordinates with employers in Akron, Medina, and other neighboring cities to schedule interviews, provide training, and arrange transportation to and from work. 

“When I place a client into a job, I feel very happy about it because they are becoming more self-sufficient,” he said. 

As a refugee, Bikabe understands the challenges that refugees and immigrants face when arriving in the United States. Many clients don’t speak English, so language and culture can be barriers to employment. 

“I still have a bit of an accent because English is my second language,” he said. “My first language is Kibembe and Swahili and also French.” 

To overcome these barriers, Bikabe arranges interpreting services and education for clients to help them succeed in the workplace. 

Outside of his work with the International Institute of Akron, Bikabe is a leader in the Congolese community. On Saturdays, he helps his Congolese neighbors read letters written in English.  

“I have always wanted to give back to other refugees,” he said.