Remaining on the Front Lines: COVID-19 Disruption in Immigrant/Refugee Communities in NYC
At this point, we have all experienced how COVID-19 has disrupted our lives — from canceling travel plans and weddings, to uprooting our everyday routines and habits, to making us a lot more conscious of washing our hands. Regardless of what we have faced, we can all agree that this has been one hell of a year.
Luckily for many of us, the hardest aspect of COVID-19 that we’ve had to deal with is transitioning to remote work environments. We’ve been able to keep our jobs and still earn an income (and many of us also received a bonus from the federal COVID-19 stimulus package). All from the comfort of our own homes. Sure — we have had a challenging year, but it’s important to have empathy towards others who have had less fortunate circumstances than us.
Take a second to envision the following:
Imagine you lost your job, could no longer afford to pay rent, and were at risk for losing your housing; Or picture yourself as an undocumented immigrant that speaks just enough English to get by and that lives in constant fear due to the volatile landscape in this country.
Imagine you had no health insurance and could not afford to contract COVID-19 for the security of your multi-generational family, or you were living in a household where domestic violence became worse because of the constant increased proximity at home and the unwavering high-stress environment caused by the pandemic.
Your experience during COVID-19 would be far more challenging than you or I could ever imagine.
Yet, this is the reality that thousands, if not millions, in the United States are facing today. These hardships are simply unfathomable and it’s easy to turn a blind eye when it does not directly impact us.
A Bangladeshi woman came to The Arab-American Family Support Center (AAFSC) as a referral. She was undocumented and lost her job at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020. To further complicate her situation, she could not receive unemployment due to her immigration status. Initially, she came to AAFSC to seek financial assistance, but AAFSC went one step further and connected her to other resources that would empower her to become more self-sufficient.
Now, she is taking virtual ESOL classes through AAFSC’s Readiness Program, is receiving weekly halal groceries through the GetFood program, and is currently enrolled in health coverage through NYC Care. Through AAFSC, she has been able to support herself during COVID-19 and maintain her health through the holistic services provided.
Uninterrupted Service Delivery during COVID-19
Many local organizations have stepped up to provide the critical support that people need to simply survive. The Arab-American Family Support Center (AAFSC) — a non-profit that provides culturally and linguistically competent, trauma-informed social services to immigrants and refugees across New York City — has gone above and beyond to support populations that are traditionally underserved by mainstream public service providers.
For those that don’t know, AAFSC spreads their arms as wide as possible. They will support anyone who walks through their doors, but has expertise in serving Arab, Middle Eastern, Muslim, and South Asian (AMEMSA) immigrant and refugee communities. Their staff speaks 27 languages and over 30 dialects — including Arabic, Bengali, French, Farsi, Nepali, Pashto, Punjabi, Somali, Spanish, Urdu, and Wakhi — an offering many organizations don’t even have the capacity to adopt.
Pre-COVID, AAFSC worked to promote mental and physical wellbeing, get families ready to lead productive lives, prevent child abuse and domestic violence, and communicate immigrant needs to partners and policy makers. During COVID, AAFSC has continued to do exactly this. AAFSC has been deemed an essential service provider by the city and have remained open during this public health emergency. They have offered uninterrupted service delivery throughout the crisis and will continue to do so.
Their service provision has evolved to meet the emerging — and growing — needs of their client base during this crisis. Because of the pandemic, AAFSC has dedicated additional resources to ensure the safety of their staff and the community, without sacrificing the quality of care. This adapted service delivery style brings their services to families in their homes while they navigate the challenges of this new “normal” and find safety and healing through virtual connection.
COVID-19 Emergency Relief Fund
In response to the economic hardship exacerbated by wide-spread job loss, AAFSC expanded their Emergency Relief Fund, which provides immediate financial assistance to families facing economic crises. In the past six months, AAFSC distributed $265,726 (and counting) benefitting 542 families and 1,677 individuals — most of whom were not eligible or did not receive the aid. These payments directly target the acute housing and food insecurity that hundreds of the families are experiencing as a result of COVID-related business closures and layoffs. In many cases, the Emergency Relief Fund is benefitting those who are ineligible for public benefits such as Unemployment Insurance.
Community Health Outreach
In response to wide-spread confusion, fear, and uncertainty in earlier this spring, AAFSC launched an outreach campaign to ensure all families were connected to the information and resources they need to remain safe and well during the pandemic. Reaching over 1,000 beneficiaries, this campaign directed individuals to food assistance, affordable healthcare options, mental health support, and up-to-date information about public health guidelines. AAFSC has also directly enrolled 1,434 individuals in low-cost health insurance and 387 individuals in SNAP benefits — a 160% increase since the pandemic began.
Domestic Violence during COVID-19: A Crisis within a Crisis
AAFSC is aware that stay-at-home measures have dire consequences for victims of domestic and gender-based violence, who are forced to remain at home with their abuser in a high-stress environment with minimal opportunity to leave. In response to a 40% increase in demand on their Anti-Violence Program, they launched a Domestic Violence Helpline, which provides immediate access to on-call, culturally and linguistically competent crisis intervention services with evening and weekend hours. The Case Managers have adapted to reach clients in the home, using discrete telecommunication methods, where they can support victims when it is most needed. To date, AAFSC has seen a 325% increase in crisis intervention and individual counseling services since March. In order to support the growing number of individuals who are suffering from heightened stress, anxiety, depression, and isolation, AFFSC prioritized continuity of care, providing counseling services via confidential videoconference, and are actively working to secure additional staffing capacity to support the growing need for services.
Sustainability
AAFSC is continuously building and improving its capacity with the long-term goal of sustainability. They anticipate that the needs of their community members will continue to increase as the social, physical, emotional, and economic effects of the pandemic are realized. Beneficiaries will continue to depend on AAFSC — a trusted resource in to community — for financial assistance, food and housing security, mental health counseling, resource navigation, and domestic violence case management.
The Work Does Not Stop Here
To learn more about the important services AAFSC is providing to underprivileged communities that are often overlooked by mainstream services providers, visit their website.
To work or explore volunteering with AAFSC, visit their opportunities page.
To learn more about their wide-reaching, successful impact during COVID-19, check out their COVID-19 Impact Report.
Most importantly, the work is far from over. The detrimental impact and insecurity cause by COVID-19 has just begun. We will continue to see the results of this downturn in the years to come. To support AAFSC as they continue to provide vital essential services to immigrant and refugee communities, donate here. Your contribution is guaranteed to be impactful.