Gabriela Sheehan from Jewish Family Service (JFS) of Western Massachusetts “Afghan Evacuees in the Berkshires”.
“The opportunity with JFS to work more directly with families and join the community groups that have been doing this work for years, while building a unified system of advocacy for New Americans in Berkshire County, is so exciting and a way for me to continue contributing to the educational system that has so many needs outside of school buildings.
Those who have worked with immigrant communities can appreciate their value to our society; new ideas, businesses, perspectives, language, food, traditions, and cultural richness. My experience with students and families from all over the world settling into Berkshire County has made JFS’s Refugee Resettlement Coordinator position a great fit for me. My life is infinitely better because of the students and families I have had the pleasure to serve; hardworking, faithful, resilient people who sacrifice so much for a life of safety and opportunity for their children.”