From The Integration of Dominican, Chinese, Russian and Mexican Immigrants in NYC
Organizations Helping Russian Immigrants
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St. Michael's Russian Catholic Church aka St. Michael's Chapel
http://www.stmichaelruscath.org
•Interview conducted on April 30, 2010 •Branch of the Russian Orthodox Church acknowledging the power of the Bishop of Rome, Pope Benedict XVI •Accepts all ethnicities and are not limited to only Russians as long as they practice Russian Catholicism.
•When asked whether they only lend their services to Russians, he proudly responds that they accept all ethnicities into their community.
It doesn't matter what they look like what matters is that we are all humans.
•The Church tries to spread the word that their organization is not just confined to people of Russian background. However, the title of their Church, St. Michael's Russian Catholic Church, says otherwise. As a result, they now refer to it as St. Michael's Chapel, a Russian Catholic Community of Byzantine Rite.
Services
Language Classes: •offered in both Russian and English
•The church tries to schedule these classes mostly over the weekend so that members that live in other boroughs can participate as well. •During the weekend, they found attendance rates to reach their peak. •He has noticed that most Russians in Manhattan are well acquainted with the English language. On the other hand, as distance between a Russian and Manhattan increases, the chances that they are fluent in English lessens.
Brighton Beach Neighborhood Association
http://www.brightonbeach.comInterview with the Founder & Executive Director of Brighton Beach Neighborhood Association on April 27, 2010. The Brighton Beach Neighborhood Association is a non-profit organization that strives to make the community of Brighton Beach a better place for both new and current residents. The three main immigrant groups that they focus on are Russian, Hispanic and Middle Eastern.
Services
Social Services: help get into entitlement programs whether its for low-income housing, food stamps, section 8 (a type of Federal assistance dedicated to sponsoring subsidized housing for low income families and individuals)
Housing Advocacy: help you find representation and fight for housing issues as well as educated you on tenant laws and housing rights
Homeowner Counseling: help you receive low-interest loans from the government through the organization's counseling service
Landlord Assistance: help landlord settle disputes with their tenants and also make their buildings handicap accessible
Tenant Organization: help tenants work as a group to address any building problems to enhance their quality of life
Shorefront YM-YWHA of Brighton-Manhattan Beach
An interview with the Director of Adult Educational, Vocational and Citizenship Services. The Shorefront YM-YWHA of Brighton-Manhattan Beach has been serving the Brighton-Manhattan Beach Community for over half a century. They build community, strengthen families and empower individuals to achieve their potentials. They also reach out to and serve people of all backgrounds
