Fiscal Year 2009 Citizenship Grant Program Award Recipients

On September 17, 2009, USCIS announced the award of $1.2 million in grants for 13 organizations to support citizenship preparation programs for legal permanent residents (LPRs). Grant recipients represent 11 states, including both traditional immigrant destinations and new immigrant gateways. The 13 recipient organizations, along with a description of their proposed initiatives, are listed below. USCIS awarded grants of up to $100,000 for organizations to serve one or more priority immigrant groups. For this funding announcement, priority immigrant groups included:

• LPRs 65 years or older;
• Refugees or asylees;
• LPRs who adjusted under the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA); 
• U or T-Visa holders;
• Special Immigrant Juvenile Visa holders; and
• Other underserved groups

Recipient: Association House of Chicago
Location: Chicago, IL
Award: $100,000

Founded in 1899, and one of the oldest settlement houses in the city, the Association House of Chicago serves the economically disadvantaged community residents of Chicago’s greater Humbolt Park area. With this funding, the organization plans to provide elderly LPRs, low-income families with small children, and immigrants covered under the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) with targeted outreach on expanded English as a Second Language (ESL) and citizenship preparation courses.

Recipient: Catholic Charities of Dallas, Inc.
Location: Dallas, TX
Award: $100,000

Catholic Charities of Dallas, Inc. has provided services to the greater Dallas community since 1891. With this funding, the organization plans to expand volunteer-driven outreach to immigrant and refugee populations in a 12 county area of North Texas and provide English and civics courses along with technical assistance and case management to LPRs applying for U.S. citizenship.

Recipient: Central American Resource Center
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Award: $100,000

For nearly 26 years, the Central American Resource Center has provided legal and educational services to immigrants and has worked to promote civic engagement within the city of Los Angeles. With this funding, the organization plans to develop a tailored citizenship class to priority LPRs in Los Angeles who have suffered persecution, domestic abuse, and other hardships; open a citizenship resource lab to expand naturalization preparation services; coordinate placement into ESL and literacy programs; and develop a short video on the naturalization process for dissemination at local churches, community organizations, and a non-profit community health clinic.

Recipient: Federation Employment and Guidance Service, Inc.
Location: New York, NY
Award: $100,000

Established in 1934, Federation Employment and Guidance Service, Inc. has provided health and human services to more than 3 million individuals in and around the New York metropolitan area. With this funding, the organization plans to assist immigrants and refugees seeking U.S. citizenship with application assistance, legal services, English language and civics instruction, and computer training.

Recipient: International Institute of St. Louis
Location: St. Louis, MO
Award: $99,745

The International Institute of St. Louis has provided English language instruction since 1919 and is the largest English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) program in the St. Louis area and the largest refugee resettlement agency in the state of Missouri. With this funding, the organization plans to expand programming to include citizenship preparation for students with limited or no literacy skills in any language; the addition of a 6-week intensive summer citizenship preparation course for students who cannot attend during the school year and/or have summer interview dates; supplemental educational services including interview practice sessions; and additional case management services. Funding will also provide post-naturalization services to help new citizens understand civic responsibilities such as voting and serving on a jury.

Recipient: International Rescue Committee, Inc.
Location: San Diego, CA
Award: $100,000

The International Rescue Committee, Inc. has more than 30 years experience working with immigrants, refugees, and asylees in the greater San Diego area. With this funding, the organization plans to assist elderly LPRs and refugees through the naturalization process, create a volunteer-based tutoring service for one-on-one interview preparation, provide case management services, and develop an ESL/civics course geared towards elderly LPRs.

Recipient: Jewish Family and Children’s Services
Location: San Francisco, CA
Award: $90,625

Jewish Family and Children’s Services has traditionally provided a variety of services to immigrants from the former Soviet Union settling in the San Francisco Bay Area. With this funding, the organization plans to expand its citizenship class curriculum used primarily for Russian speakers to include Spanish-speaking and African LPRs. The organization will also provide application assistance, legal services, case management, and targeted services for homebound seniors.

Recipient: Jewish Vocational Service of MetroWest, Inc.
Location: East Orange, NJ
Award: $56,537

The Jewish Vocational Service of MetroWest, Inc. was founded in 1939 and provides vocational and educational services to New Jersey residents ages 14 and up. With this funding, the organization plans to assist priority immigrant groups prepare for naturalization through outreach, specialized instruction, and immigration-support services that includes a legal program providing case management and counseling to victims of trafficking, torture, and immigrants falling under the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA).

Recipient: Lutheran Family Services in the Carolinas
Location: Raleigh, NC
Award: $100,000

Established in 1976, Lutheran Family Services in the Carolinas provides a range of health and human services in sites throughout North and South Carolina. With this funding, the organization plans to provide ESL and citizenship classes, assistance with the naturalization process, and legal representation to immigrants and pre-literate refugees and asylees.

Recipient: OneAmerica
Location: Seattle, WA
Award: $99,992

Initially established as the Hate Free Zone immediately following the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, OneAmerica works to advance the fundamental principles of democracy, justice, and human rights at the local, state, and national levels. With this funding, the organization plans to expand outreach on U.S. citizenship through a targeted media campaign, coordinate naturalization assistance for eligible LPRs, and establish a citizenship hotline.

Recipient: Progreso Latino
Location: Central Falls, RI
Award: $100,000

Progreso Latino is a community-based organization with over 30 years experience in providing services to residents of Providence County, RI in the areas of health, early childhood education, and immigration. Through a partnership known as the Rhode Island Citizenship Consortium, Progreso Latino seeks to help LPRs improve English language skills and prepare for the naturalization application and interview process. With this funding, the organization plans to expand its outreach to eligible LPRs through TV, radio, and print public service announcements, an interactive website, and visits to nursing homes, cultural organizations, and domestic violence prevention networks.

Recipient: Saint Mark Roman Catholic Parish
Location: Dorchester, MA
Award: $55,536

Through its community education program, Saint Mark Roman Catholic Parish offers both an ESOL and citizenship program for adult immigrants and refugees. With this funding, the organization plans to expand and enhance services for the immigrant community through additional English language and citizenship classes, evening and weekend classes, the establishment of a year-round program, and a new computer lab for its students.

Recipient: Young Women’s Christian Association
Location: Tulsa, OK
Award: $97,138

For more than 90 years, the Young Women’s Christian Association has provided programs and services to women and working families in Tulsa, OK. With this funding, the organization plans to expand citizenship preparation programs for LPRs, refugees, and senior refugees and develop civic engagement and cultural education opportunities that integrate the broader community through activities and exchanges between eligible LPRs and native Tulsans.

Notes:

• Funding under the Citizenship Grant Program may only be used to provide direct services to immigrants with legal status in the United States.
• The program descriptions listed above have been taken in full, or in part, from recipient grant applications, websites, or a combination thereof. USCIS is not responsible for the accuracy of such content.