New American Center opens its doors in Lynn

LYNN – The city’s New American Center opened its doors Thursday, showcasing a facility where refugees and immigrants from many lands can find guidance and services all under one roof.Marilyn Chase, assistant secretary of the Executive Office of Health and Human Services, joined Richard Chacon, executive director of the state Office for Refugees and Immigrants, in celebrating the new center.Serge Bologov, executive director of the Russian Community Association of Massachusetts and spokesman for the New American Center, said the organization was formed in 2001-2002 and was formerly housed in the Community Minority Cultural Center on Union Street.Bologov praised Mayor Edward J. Clancy Jr. and James Cowdell, executive director of the Lynn Development and Industrial Corp. (EDIC), for partnering with the Mutual Assistance Association Coalition.The EDIC owns the building at 20 Wheeler St. where the center occupies most of the fourth floor, with big rooms, high ceilings and ocean views.The coalition tries to meet the needs of the growing number of increasingly diverse newcomers.Chacon said the public/private partnership that made the center possible should be singled out as an example for those undertaking similar initiatives across the state.”This place, this setting, really embodies that lifting up,” he said.Chase described the center as a remarkable achievement, citing the sense of community it fosters and the coming together of people from many countries. She, too, commended the public-private partnership, explaining that it all started with a grant to the School Department that the mayor turned over to the immigrant advocacy group.The center gives immigrants and refugees an opportunity to connect with others from the same country while assisting them in finding a job and learning to speak English. Its range of services are diverse, as evidenced by the groups who share the space: Bosnian Community Center for Resource Development, Congolese Development Center, Haitian-American Public Health Initiative, Jewish Family & Children’s Services, Refugee and Immigrant Assistance Center, Russian Community Association of Massachusetts, and Southern Sudan Solidarity Organization. In addition to job search and ESL classes, services also include an after-school program, computer training classes, elderly and health-related programs, translation and interpretation, citizenship and social support.Bologov said the seven groups work together, apply collectively for funds, share technology and provide mutual support.