New Bedford Guide Your Guide to New Bedford and South Coast, MA
On Thursday, April 4 at the New Bedford Whaling Museum’s Harbor View Room, the Immigrants’ Assistance Center, Inc. (IAC) announced the beginning of a new chapter of growth. Helena DaSilva Hughes, Executive Director, impressed on the crowd of supporters that while client numbers have increased 60%, and citizenship applications have gone up 336% in three years, the number of staff has remained the same, demonstrating an immediate need for funding.
DaSilva Hughes also revealed a re-branding initiative that resulted in a “fresh, modern logo with colors that represent the diversity of our client base.” The logo can be seen on the re-vamped website at www.immigrantsassistancecenter.org where case managers are highlighted. DaSilva Hughes said that the website “enables the IAC to present to potential funders and supporters a more accurate and more sophisticated portrait of our work with the immigrant communities.” She thanked Betsy Keady of Keady Communications and Kelly Pelissier of Sage Hill Designs for their donated time on creating a marketing plan, and conveying the visual design, respectively.
The IAC also spoke to attendees about the need for expansion of space within the city-owned building. “We are bursting at the seams, with not enough desks for existing staff and volunteers,” said DaSilva Hughes. The IAC will be using a room on the 2nd floor to host the new computer classroom funded by the Smith Family Foundation, but DaSilva Hughes made a plea to Mayor Mitchell – present in the audience — for support in expanding to the currently unused 3rd floor of the building.
It was also announced that new members of the Board of Directors have been elected, including Laurie Bullard “powerhouse and champion of the IAC”, Anne Broholm, CEO of AHEAD USA and Jeffrey Pellitier, President of Junior Achievement.
