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Cutbacks threaten Emerald Isle Immigration Centers services

EIIC hopes new fundraising efforts will help

MOLLY MULDOON,

Irish Voice Reporter

Published Sunday, June 3, 2012, 8:01 AM

Updated Sunday, June 3, 2012, 11:39 AM

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President Michael D. Higgins at the Emerald Isle Immigration Center last month.

Photo by Shane O'Neill / Fennells

A major fundraising effort in aid of the Emerald Isle Immigration Center (EIIC) is underway after cuts in funding may threaten the services it provides to Irish immigrants.

Established in 1988, the center’s two locations in the Bronx and Queens provide services to immigrants in New York City. EIIC provides these services for free and relies on funding from the Irish government, the City Council of New York, New York State and private donors.

In recent years, the not-for-profit group has seen an increase in demand for services while they simultaneously deal with cutbacks in funding.

“We have seen an upswing in demand for social services on the front line,” EIIC executive director Siobhan Dennehy told the Irish Voice.

“Possible cuts may be on the cards,” she added. “It’s about maintaining our overall portfolio of services.”

As well as countless volunteers, the two centers employ a full-time staff of 13 that provides services including immigration counseling, citizenship counseling, education, employment counseling, social services, and computer training.

“We are responding to the needs of our community as we always have,” Dennehy said.

“The center will continue, against all odds, to offer its services to our most vulnerable population. We will do more with less thanks to our dedicated staff and our many volunteer supporters."

“The EIIC is grateful to our Woodlawn friends who have come together as a community and chosen to support the center to ensure that no one is left isolated, hungry or alone, especially our neighborhood seniors.”

As preparations are underway to mark the EIIC’s Isle’s 25th anniversary, the organization’s broad range of services also provide support for J-1 visa students coming to the U.S.

“Last week, we started seeing the new arrivals coming into the office,” Dennehy said.

“There was also quite a group waiting this morning (Tuesday) after the holidays. We certainly welcome them.”

On June 6, Celtic Charity Inc and the AOH will host The Celtic Cruise to support the EIIC. The event will feature live music by Celtic Cross, the Cunningham Brothers, Shay Mac Band and Chris Kelly.

On Sunday, June 10 from 3-7 p.m. the Woodlawn Friends of EIIC will host a fundraiser at the Rambling House on Katonah Avenue in the Bronx.

Admission is by donation, which includes a hot buffet, live entertainment, door prize and a cash bar.
For more information about the events call the Bronx office at 718-324-3039, ext. 102.

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mreinhar2001 | Dec 02, 2012, 11:55 AM EST

Seanmor: Your post below makes very little sense. Why would one "reasonably expect" any church (Presbyterian, Anglican, or Catholic) to donate funds to an immigration center. Contributions at churches are given of free will as part of a spirituality practice. The funds are then used for specific pre-determined purposes (ie lights, heat, etc). Remember that a tithe is a tenth of what oe has. Realistically only have of that should go to one's church in the spirituality of giving. The other half can go anywhere the donor so chooses. If the generous donors that you describe want their generous funds to go to Irish immigration centers, then they need to donate their money directly to those facilities.

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Seanmor | Sep 08, 2012, 07:41 PM EDT

In addition to the financial aid these immigration centers receive from the Irish state, the A.O.H. and other sourses, one would reasonably expect that the R.C. church in Woodlawn, which hundreds of Irish natives regularlary attend -with their very Generous contributions - would also donate funds to the Woodlawn Irish Immigration Center. or is this an example of "no Irish need apply"?

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mreinhar2001 | Jul 01, 2012, 02:37 PM EDT

Let's not forget that there are leagl immigrants, too, who might be helped by immigration centers--that is in countries that actually enforce immigration law.

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Bythebay | Jun 26, 2012, 08:27 PM EDT

Seanmor, it's not the responsibility of the Irish taxpayer/Irish Government to help you pay for the E.I.E.C. in Woodlawn or anywhere else in the US. And if those centers are also helping illegal immigrants they should be closed down asap. It's a US problem, not Ireland's.

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GeorgeDillon | Jun 05, 2012, 03:54 PM EDT

I know that everything that ciaradexy posts is stupid nonsense, so I wasn't surprised when the first piece of information I found when I decided to check out her claim of only 10k illegal immigrants in Ireland was the following:---"30,000 illegal immigrants in Ireland--- Around 30,000 illegal immigrants are living in Ireland, meaning they live in constant fear of deportation, the Migrant Rights Centre of Ireland has warned." Truly, you are an empty-headed imbecile, ciaradexy. But actually, and leaving out your stupidity, any consideration of "illegal" immigration to Ireland should bear in mind that since legal immigration is so easy (Ireland has the laxest immigration laws in Europe, and the most incompetent enforcement of them) there really is not a whole hell of a reason to become an illegal in Ireland.

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ciaradexy | Jun 05, 2012, 12:23 PM EDT

Illegal migrants should be removed from everywhere but its estimated that there are only 10,000 illegal migrants in Ireland at the mo. I know 3 and guess what, they are American!!

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Seanmor | Jun 03, 2012, 05:44 PM EDT

The E.I.E.C. in Woodlawn reminds me of the Irish Institute in West 48th St., Manhattan in the 1950s and 60s. In 1964 I took a new arrival to the latter and she found a job as a 'nanny' to a rich family in White Plains. The article doesn't say who is going to reduce the funding for the E.I.E.C. It is my understanding that the Dáil gov't and the New York Archdiocese provided financial for such centers in the 80s. It is of utmost importance that the emigration centers in Queens and the Bronx be kept open. Let's all help in this very worthy effort. If we don't help our immigrants from Ireland, nobody else will.

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GeorgeDillon | Jun 03, 2012, 04:17 PM EDT

The Irish government spends far more on foreign migrants who have immigrated to Ireland than on Irish citizens who have been forced to emigrate by the corruption and stupidity of the Irish ruling class.

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mreinhar2001 | Jun 03, 2012, 03:23 PM EDT

I am in complete agreement with Bythebay. While the immigration centers are helpful to all immigrants no matter where they com from (completely irregardless of the shade of one's skin which is irrelevant), this is a matter that private groups should fund not tazpayers--not taxpayers in Ireland, and not tazpayers in the US.

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Bythebay | Jun 03, 2012, 02:32 PM EDT

Limiting immigration in the US has nothing to do with the expectation of who funds these two centers. Those who want them in New York should fund them, the Irish taxpayer definitely should not nor should the US taxpayer.

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Pittsburghkid | Jun 03, 2012, 02:26 PM EDT

The problem began with Ted Kennedy. In the 60's, Kennedy limited immigrantion form Northern Europe. Along with his support of Abortion. White American are on the way of becoming a minority. We need Irish immigrants, all European Immigrants, because the minorities do not look at White Americans favorablely. The Hispanic claim we stole their land, while the Black claim we are racist, and will never forgive slavery, even though whites fought a war to end it.

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Bythebay | Jun 03, 2012, 01:49 PM EDT

The self proclaimed important "Irish" and "Irish Americans" in New York should be funding this from private money. Ireland's taxpayers money certainly should not be funding it nor should the US taxpayers fund these centers which are blatantly only for the Irish and not for all immigrants.

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