Woburn, MA – Cummings Foundation recently gave a $200,000 donation to the Afghan Evacuee Support Initiative of the nonprofit International Institute of New England (IINE), led by President and CEO, Jeffrey Thielman.
IINE is already providing ongoing case management to approximately 350 Afghans whom it has welcomed since the end of the war in Afghanistan, in August 2021. In the coming weeks, it expects to support an additional 300 Afghans who are being resettled in Massachusetts.
Among the evacuees are interpreters, drivers, soldiers, and others who supported the U.S. military, as well as aid workers and people who worked for the U.S. government and non-governmental organizations.
“We’re so grateful for the many services IINE provides to help these Afghan allies rebuild their lives in a new home,” said Executive Director Joyce Vyriotes. “Its employment training, in particular, will be incredibly beneficial, not only for the evacuees but also local businesses. With so many companies really struggling to hire staff right now, the timing of the arrival of these new neighbors could be ideal.”
Employment training is one of the many services offered by IINE. The nonprofit also supports evacuees through direct financial aid, temporary and permanent housing, medical care, cultural orientation, public school enrollment, and English language and literacy classes.
