News & Views

Unemployed and Scared

Like hundreds of thousands of immigrants, Rosa* lost her job to COVID-19. Two advantages may help her survive: legal status and, most recently, assistance filling out an unemployment application. Both came through HIAS Pennsylvania.

Although Rosa married a green card holder, her husband was abusive and never applied for her visa. As long as she didn’t have legal status of her own, he controlled her completely. At work, the agency that employed her to clean businesses took all the taxes the rest of us pay from her paycheck, but she would never be able to collect any benefits without legal status.

Three years ago, she managed to connect to HIAS PA attorneys, who helped her apply for her own green card and obtain a work permit. Finally, she had the independence she needed to leave her husband. 

Now Rosa needed the unemployment benefits she had earned, but confusion and anxiety threatened her again. She was grateful the state had provided a Spanish-language application, but she still couldn’t fill it out. “Even as a native English speaker, the application is very tricky,” HIAS PA case manager Nicole Banales reports. “That’s why there is a step-by-step interactive guide available to walk you through it. A guide available only in English!” Via telephone, Rosa and Nicole worked together to fill out the online application. Rosa does not have a computer, so Nicole used screenshots on her phone to walk through the process as Rosa filled it out on her phone. 

Rosa’s situation is far from unique. “Our clients are in freefall,” says Cathy Miller-Wilson, Executive Director of HIAS PA. “Our case managers are calling all of them to find out what they need and connecting them to resources wherever we can.”

For Nicole Banales, clients like Rosa are giving her strength, “because they are finding ways to live in this crisis with everything at stake.”

*Name was changed

TONIGHT (4/20) - Join us ONLINE at the 2023 Golden Door Awards!

Join us ONLINE at 6:45PM TONIGHT, Thursday, April 20th, for HIAS PA's 2023 Golden Door Awards: United for Immigrants!

Happy Passover from HIAS Pennsylvania!HIAS PA is closed in observance of the Jewish holiday of Passover

HIAS Pennsylvania will be closed in observance of the Jewish holiday of Passover from 1PM on Wednesday, April 5th through Friday, April 7th, and on Wednesday, April 12th and Thursday, April 13th.

Join us at the 2023 Golden Door Awards!United for Immigrants

The Golden Door Awards is HIAS Pennsylvania's annual fundraiser. Your generous support helps us serve low-income immigrants from all over the world as they build new lives in our community.

Building closed until further noticeHIAS PA remains open!

HIAS PA’s physical offices at 600 Chestnut Street are CLOSED until further notice due to a burst pipe in the building.

Our organization remains open, and HIAS PA staff continue to work remotely at this time.

Please call (215) 832-0900 with any questions.

Building closed until further noticeHIAS PA remains open!

HIAS PA’s physical offices at 600 Chestnut Street are CLOSED until further notice due to a burst pipe in the building.

Our organization remains open, and HIAS PA staff continue to work remotely at this time.

Please call (215) 832-0900 with any questions.

TONIGHT: Join us at the table!Join us for Thankful Together!

Thankful Together, formerly known as Refugee Thanksgiving, is happening TONIGHT at 6PM!

Register here to join us tonight: https://hiaspa1.wpengine.com/event/thankful-together-2021/

Celebrate our volunteers who make this all possible!Click here at 11:45AM to join our Annual Meeting!

Click here to join our virtual Annual Meeting!

The Annual Meeting starts at noon, but join us at 11:45AM for an informal chat before the event!

POSTPONED! Speed Advocacy: Afghanistan

Today's Speed Advocacy: Afghanistan Facebook Live event has been postponed due to a worldwide Facebook outage. We will update you as soon as possible about rescheduling the event.