Syracuse Somali Bantu Office Secures Contractual Partnership with NY Department of Social Services Jobs Plus

 
I've written much about the importance and value of ethnic community based organizations (ECBOs) bridging refugee communities to the wide variety of social service providers refugees must access to provide for their basic needs.  This value is underscored when mainstream social service providers initiate contractual agreements with ECBOs.  
 
This happened recently in Syracuse with one of this project's Somali Bantu ECBOs.  The JobsPlus! office of the New York Department of Social Services (DSS) recognized that many refugees access the Somali Bantu Community Organization's weekly adult ESL classes.  Many of these refugee students are also actively transitioning from welfare to work.  DSS decided to incentivize receipt of welfare by making its distribution conditional on refugees' participation in ESL classes at the Organization.  DSS understands that refugees are much more likely to obtain sustainable employment outcomes when they've become English proficient.  And refugees understand that English uptake assists them with everything from job security and wage growth to citizenship and social integration.
 
Congratulations to the Somali Bantu Community Organization.  Their hard work on behalf of the refugee community continues to reap multiple organizational development dividends.