Maria del Pilar Quintana Family Center FY‘15 was another successful year at the Maria del Pilar Quintana Center. Although the Center continues to operate on a modest budget, efforts increased for grant funding for Citizenship and ESL programs. Through the generous support of several consistent funders, the LFDEF, Inc. general operating budget and fees paid by program participants, the Quintana Center served over 500 individuals this year. Citizenship Programming & Application Assistance LFDEF, Inc.’s Maria del Pilar Quintana Family Center received recognition by the United States Executive Office for Immigration Reviews (EOIR) as a Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA) recognized agency. “Recognition” gives a non ‐profit organization permission to practice immigration law before either the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and/or EOIR, which includes the immigration courts and the BIA. Recognition covers a three‐year period, and during FY’15, the Quintana Center Program Manager represented many immigrants as a BIA accredited and qualified nonlawyer. During FY’15, the Maria del Pilar Quintana Center provided Citizenship assistance to 36 immigrants from a mix of countries and ethnicities. Some of the services clients accessed with the assistance from the Quintana staff included: Support in completion of Citizenship/Naturalization application forms for adults and children Renewal of Permanent Residence Cards “Green Cards” Referral and review of applications for disability waivers Completion of Fee Waiver application forms for lowincome applicants Assistance and referrals for the resolution of legal issues Help with securing USCIS appointments using the InfoPass system Assistance in completion of the United States passport applications Providing Selective Service registration information Assisting with translations of correspondences related to the Citizenship applications Assisting with voter registration for new citizens Citizenship Education To assist participants not yet ready to begin the application process, the Quintana Center provides classes in civic education. These classes provide work on Reading & Writing vocabulary, Civics and U.S. History as well as the responsibilities, rights and requirements related to becoming a citizen of the United States. Using the computer lab, students practice listening and speaking skills. Overall 61 students participated in the citizenship classes during FY’15. LFDEF, INC FY’2014‐2015 ANNUAL REPORT In June, I completed the ESL Beginner class and will be returning in September 2015 to continue improving my English skills. With the help of the ESL program, Dilson plans to enroll in Northern Essex Community College to become a Physical Therapist. PAGE 8 I was born in San Francisco de Macoris, Dominican Republic. In 2012, I was recruited by the Chicago Cubs to play baseball. I had a Visa to play in the minor leagues, and so in September of 2014, I came to the United States at the suggestion of the Cubs. In November 2014, I ended up in Lawrence and lived here for one year without knowing any English. After not being able to communicate in English and wanting to make new friends, I realized that I needed to enroll in an ESL class. In February 17, 2015 , I came to the Quintana Center for the first time to enroll in Basic ESL classes.
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