Emergency Immigrant Cash Assistance Fund

Dear Enroot Community,

I’m writing today to make an urgent appeal for your help addressing the immediate financial needs of our students and families, many of whom experienced sudden catastrophic loss of wages in recent days. Many Enroot students contribute meaningfully to their household income through part-time jobs and Enroot internship stipends. Most of their parents and/or guardians do not have paid sick leave.

Need for Support 

We recognize that the scale of the financial impact on families requires resources and support that only federal, state, and city entities can truly provide. While these supports are on their way, it’s imperative for Enroot to play a role in the interim to address some of the immediate basic needs of our students and families. 

Emergency Immigrant Cash Assistance Fund 

Today Enroot is establishing an Emergency Immigrant Cash Assistance Fund to provide immediate short term financial assistance to Enroot students and their families. Enroot’s Board of Directors approved an extraordinary distribution of $50,000 from our strategic reserves for this purpose. This decision was made both so that students could access cash immediately, and also with the hope that it would encourage institutional funding partners and individuals like you to join forces with us in this effort. Here are the basics:

• Enroot’s contribution of $50,000 is sufficient to give each student $250. 

• Our goal is to raise an additional $90,000-$120,000, which would allow a total distribution of between $700-$850 to each of our 200 students.

• Enroot will begin distributing funds to students on Friday, March 20th.

Please consider making a donation in any amount to this fund. Enroot will be covering all administrative and transactional costs to ensure that 100% of your donations will be distributed as cash assistance to Enroot students. If possible please make your donation via Enroot’s Facebook campaign (here), since there will be no fees assessed. If you are unable to donate through Facebook, please donate through our main Enroot page by clicking the button below.

As many of you know, the impacts of this crisis are particularly acute for immigrant families. Immigrants are less likely to access support from food banks and other essential service providers for many reasons, including language barriers and fear related to deportation and becoming a public charge. Students in Enroot’s College Success cohort were forced to abruptly leave campus with limited recourse for housing and food subsidies, at the very same time they’ve lost essential part-time wages. This crisis has also increased the incidence of xenophobic and racist attacks, especially toward immigrants.

As we launch the Fund, our staff and over 200 volunteers continue to provide direct support to students through virtual mentoring and tutoring, and by helping students access available resources.

Thank you for your ongoing dedication to Enroot students and families. Your support is needed now more than ever. You can also help this effort by sharing this appeal broadly with your networks on social media and by forwarding this email. At the foot of this email are icons to Enroot’s Facebook, Linkedin and Instagram accounts.

With deep gratitude and best wishes for the health of your family, as we all rally together as a community.

Ben Clark

Executive Director

Impact of Coronavirus on Enroot and Immigrant Communities

Dear Enroot Community,

I’m writing to provide an update regarding the steps Enroot is taking in response to the spread of the novel Coronavirus (COVID-19). Enroot has made the very difficult decision to temporarily suspend all in-person programming and events.

• All in-person Enroot activities, including mentoring, tutoring, field trips, seminars, and internships, will be postponed until further notice.

• Enroot will move to virtual mentoring and tutoring, with the goal of continuing to address student needs as best we can.

• Enroot staff will be working remotely and are available to students and all stakeholders via phone, email, text, social media, and video conferencing.

• We are continuously re-evaluating the situation and look forward to re-commencing in-person programming as soon as possible.

Although the weeks and months ahead will involve significant disruptions to all of our lives, it's important to remember that public health crises like this disproportionately impact marginalized communities, especially immigrant families. Lost wages, limited access to health resources, and an increased vulnerability to xenophobic and racist attacks are examples of impacts that can be compounded by immigration status. 

While our ability to respond is diminished by limited in-person connections, we remain committed to doing everything we can to meet the evolving needs of our students and their families. As always, we are making decisions guided by our Core Values of Students First, Sense of Possibility, Authentic Relationships, and Constant Learning.

We can’t thank you enough for your support of our students, especially during this time. Enroot is proud of the way our community has rallied together to support one another in the past. We’re confident we will again rise to the occasion.

In solidarity,

Ben Clark

Executive Director

It's National Mentoring Month!

A mentor is a caring adult who serves as a role model, adviser, friend, and guide to our students, helping their mentee to dream big, set goals, and pursue them. Enroot recruited over 200 volunteers to serve as mentors, tutors, and internship supervisors this year. Volunteers meet with students once a week over the course of the year, working on everything from college applications to practicing English. As we close a month long celebration of National Mentoring Month we spoke with two of our mentoring pairs about their relationships. #mentoring #mentoringmatters #MentoringMonth

Give the Gift of Belonging

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"Enroot is a place where all immigrant students are welcomed and can feel like it's their second home." -Nafis, Enroot College Success Freshman, 2019  Dear Enroot Community,   We find ourselves at a profound and poignant moment in our nation's history. There are many reasons to feel alarmed today, but one that especially concerns us at Enroot is the resurgence of the White Nationalist movement. In the last few years, this hateful ideology has shocked us as it courses throughout the country, from the dark fringes of the internet to White House policy, making life harder and more dangerous for our immigrant communities. Right here in Cambridge and Somerville, immigrant students navigate the very racism and discrimination that often leaves us outraged as we read about them in headlines. But anger alone does not create change. During this painful chapter, each of us must look inward, channel our indignation, and decide what role we’ll play in the pursuit of liberty and justice for all.  At Enroot, we take action by supporting hundreds of immigrant students through tutoring, mentoring, leadership development, post-secondary access workshops, professional internships, and college success coaching. Our program has proven effective at dramatically improving the success outcomes for English learners: recent data shows Enroot students go on to graduate college at more than twice the rate of their peers.  But we cannot carry out this work alone. At this challenging time, immigrant students are counting on you to help. This year’s campaign, with a goal of raising $100,000 from dedicated community members like you, will not only allow Enroot to reach more students but will also enable us to better respond to their evolving needs. "In my first year at CRLS, I was a lost new kid in a new country and school... I would just roam around the hallways and go from school to home without feeling any kind of acceptance or a feeling of belonging. Enroot provided me with the community feeling that I needed.”   -Ali, Enroot College Success Freshman Enroot students hail from more than 36 countries across the globe. They left behind beloved family members, familiar traditions, cultures, and a sense of belonging — a challenge many of us cannot fully appreciate. What’s more, they face threats, discrimination, and verbal abuse around the community, even within school hallways. Supporting them is our sole purpose. Enroot is the only agency in Massachusetts that offers a multifaceted program focused exclusively on the needs of immigrant students.  While we celebrate our accomplishments with more than 400 alumni, we know the work has just begun. It is only through the generosity of individuals like you that we are able to sustain and grow our robust program.  This important work is only possible with your generous support.    Please make a gift today! Thank you for welcoming our newest community members and joining the movement to advance equity in education for immigrant students.  With appreciation, Ben Clark Executive Director, Enroot Mahlet Aklu October 11, 2019 Letters To Our Community Immigrant students are counting on you! Mahlet Aklu October 11, 2019 Letters To Our Community *|MC_PREVIEW_TEXT|* “When I first joined the program… I had almost given up on my education. Enroot opened up a way for me and I was able to see that anything was possible if I kept doing my best and not giving up.” - Angela, Enroot College Success Freshman, 2019 Dear Friends, For over two decades, support from individuals like you has made it possible for hundreds of students like Angela to pursue their families’ dreams with courage and confidence. Over the last 5 years, Enroot has grown from serving 30 students in Cambridge, to now over 200 students across Cambridge, Somerville, and on 19 college campuses. None of this would have been possible without the generous support of individuals like you. Thank you.     Last year, with instrumental funding from individual and institutional donors, we launched our College Success program to support our high school graduates in their first two years after graduation, ensuring a successful transition into their post-secondary life.  “As a first-generation college student, I feel really proud of myself for such an incredible step in my life. My family has worked really hard in order for me to get to this country and going to college is a way to thank them for everything they have done for me. As an immigrant student, I’ve faced lots of challenges. There were people out there that believed I couldn’t make it. Sometimes I found myself in a position I was believing I couldn’t make it...But I got to a point where I told myself, ‘you can do it’. Since that moment I started to work harder and harder. I stayed after school to get work done or get helped with my assignments. And I got it. I’m officially a college student pursuing a psychology degree.” - Karla, Enroot College Success Freshman, 2019 This year’s campaign, with a goal of raising $100,000 from dedicated community members like you, will not only allow Enroot to reach more students, but will also enable us to better respond to their evolving needs at this challenging time for immigrants in our country. Our Students, Our Model, Our Impact It’s never been easy to be an immigrant in the United States. Leaving behind beloved family members, familiar traditions, culture, and community is a challenge many of us cannot fully appreciate. Right here in Massachusetts, immigrant students face daily threats, discrimination, and hateful rhetoric around the community and even within the school hallways.  Enroot is the only agency in Massachusetts offering a multi-faceted program exclusively focused on addressing the specific needs of immigrant students. Our approach includes tutoring, mentoring, leadership development, post-secondary access workshops, professional internships, and college success coaching.  "Enroot is the exact type of partnership that districts strive to have and we were fortunate enough to get. The students who have been part of Enroot  are more college and career ready."  - Somerville Superintendent of Schools, Mary Skipper Our program has proven effective at dramatically improving the success outcomes for English learner students. We’re proud that our students go on to graduate college at more than twice the rate of their peers. While this is an accomplishment we celebrate with our 400+ alumni, we know we are just getting started and look forward to supporting future students to accomplish even more. Your donation to Enroot’s annual campaign will help us inspire the dreamers and leaders of tomorrow.  This important work is only possible with your generous support.    Please make a gift today! Thank you, for being an Enroot supporter, for making an impact on the lives of newcomers, and for continuing to invite your friends and family to join our fight for educational equity. Our students and the entire organization are deeply appreciative of your support.  With gratitude,  Ben Clark Executive Director, Enroot Newer Posts Older Posts Back to Top 99 Bishop Allen Drive, Unit 129, Cambridge, MA, 02139, United States6178765214info@enrooteducation.org contact us info@enrooteducation.org (617) 876-5214 99 Bishop Allen Drive, Unit 129 | Cambridge, MA 02139 newsletter © enroot education 2018

Immigrant students are counting on you!

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“When I first joined the program… I had almost given up on my education. Enroot opened up a way for me and I was able to see that anything was possible if I kept doing my best and not giving up.” - Angela, Enroot College Success Freshman, 2019 Dear Friends, For over two decades, support from individuals like you has made it possible for hundreds of students like Angela to pursue their families’ dreams with courage and confidence. Over the last 5 years, Enroot has grown from serving 30 students in Cambridge, to now over 200 students across Cambridge, Somerville, and on 19 college campuses. None of this would have been possible without the generous support of individuals like you. Thank you.     Last year, with instrumental funding from individual and institutional donors, we launched our College Success program to support our high school graduates in their first two years after graduation, ensuring a successful transition into their post-secondary life.  “As a first-generation college student, I feel really proud of myself for such an incredible step in my life. My family has worked really hard in order for me to get to this country and going to college is a way to thank them for everything they have done for me. As an immigrant student, I’ve faced lots of challenges. There were people out there that believed I couldn’t make it. Sometimes I found myself in a position I was believing I couldn’t make it...But I got to a point where I told myself, ‘you can do it’. Since that moment I started to work harder and harder. I stayed after school to get work done or get helped with my assignments. And I got it. I’m officially a college student pursuing a psychology degree.” - Karla, Enroot College Success Freshman, 2019 This year’s campaign, with a goal of raising $100,000 from dedicated community members like you, will not only allow Enroot to reach more students, but will also enable us to better respond to their evolving needs at this challenging time for immigrants in our country. Our Students, Our Model, Our Impact It’s never been easy to be an immigrant in the United States. Leaving behind beloved family members, familiar traditions, culture, and community is a challenge many of us cannot fully appreciate. Right here in Massachusetts, immigrant students face daily threats, discrimination, and hateful rhetoric around the community and even within the school hallways.  Enroot is the only agency in Massachusetts offering a multi-faceted program exclusively focused on addressing the specific needs of immigrant students. Our approach includes tutoring, mentoring, leadership development, post-secondary access workshops, professional internships, and college success coaching.  "Enroot is the exact type of partnership that districts strive to have and we were fortunate enough to get. The students who have been part of Enroot  are more college and career ready."  - Somerville Superintendent of Schools, Mary Skipper Our program has proven effective at dramatically improving the success outcomes for English learner students. We’re proud that our students go on to graduate college at more than twice the rate of their peers. While this is an accomplishment we celebrate with our 400+ alumni, we know we are just getting started and look forward to supporting future students to accomplish even more. Your donation to Enroot’s annual campaign will help us inspire the dreamers and leaders of tomorrow.  This important work is only possible with your generous support.    Please make a gift today! Thank you, for being an Enroot supporter, for making an impact on the lives of newcomers, and for continuing to invite your friends and family to join our fight for educational equity. Our students and the entire organization are deeply appreciative of your support.  With gratitude,  Ben Clark Executive Director, Enroot Newer Posts Older Posts Back to Top 99 Bishop Allen Drive, Unit 129, Cambridge, MA, 02139, United States6178765214info@enrooteducation.org contact us info@enrooteducation.org (617) 876-5214 99 Bishop Allen Drive, Unit 129 | Cambridge, MA 02139 newsletter © enroot education 2018