COVID-19 support and virtual programs
Irish Community Relief Effort
Standing Together While Staying Apart
During this time of separation, at the Irish Diaspora Center, our Board, Staff, and an incredible group of volunteers stand ready to help anyone in need throughout the community. With help from all our friends in the Irish community (GAA, Friendly Sons of St. Patrick, The Irish Center and IABCN), we have created the “Community of Caring Program” which is here to serve you, your family, your neighbors, and co-workers in the following ways.
Food Assistance Program
This Sunday, April 6, 2020, we will begin collecting food and other personal items for distribution to those in the community who may need a hand with filing the cupboards. To donate, please take a look at the items for donation and drop them off at one of the three drop off locations throughout the community:
Delaware County: Paddy Rooney’s Pub (rear parking lot)
Glenside Area: 2444 Ardsley Ave, Glenside
Northeast Area: Commodore Barry Arts and Culture Center, 6815 Emlen Street, Philadelphia (outside the garage)
If you prefer to drop off gift cards to grocery stores and pharmacies, please do not drop those in the containers. Gift cards can be left in the mailboxes at either:
Delaware County: 2422 Saint Denis Lane, Havertown
Glenside Area: 2444 Ardsley Ave,
Northeast Area: 4027 N Warner Rd, Lafayette Hill
We will also be purchasing perishable items to complete food packages. If you would like to donate funds to help with this endeavor, please click on this link.
If you or someone you know may need some supplies to get through this period of time, please fill out this confidential form. Our volunteers will happily deliver to a porch or you can pick up at the Irish Diaspora Center by scheduling a time for pick up by texting 484-886-9028.
Resources for the Time
We understand that this time is extremely confusing with changes in job security, immigration questions, medical questions, and mental health needs. Please know that the IDC is standing with you and that we have a number of experts in various fields who can help answer your questions. Please let us know if you need to speak with a human resources expert, a criminal attorney, an immigration attorney, a mental health professional, or some other professional. All of our services are free and confidential.
Non-Home Helpers and Porch Buddies
Understandably, we cannot provide at-home help at this time, but we can help with running errands to the grocery store or pharmacy, mowing lawns, setting up porch furniture, etc.
Perhaps you know someone who just wants a little human interaction. We also have porch buddies who can pay them a visit by sitting on their front lawn for a chat and will maintain the appropriate social distance.
Ways You Can Be Involved
Donate food or funds
Volunteer to be a porch buddy or non-home helper
Lend your expertise in some area at this time
Let us know if you or someone in your life is in need of help
Contact the Irish Diaspora Center at ciaran@idcphila.org to sign up.
COVID-19 Support and Virtual Programming
These are different times in which we are living! A world overwhelmed by so much at one time – illness, financial concerns, loneliness – and yet, everywhere I turn, messages of hope are in abundance! Families, while certainly stressed with the change in routine, have come together to create, talk, and play. Friends, normally too busy to connect, have found moments to call each other or use video ability to connect. Individuals who so often run from meeting to meeting, are now taking time to check in on neighbors they haven’t met. I am moved by the outpouring of people reaching out to the IDC to see how they can help our community. The Irish Community is strong and I draw so much comfort from that strength!
While social distancing and cocooning have become a part of our regular vocabulary in the past few weeks, you and your family are being thought of frequently and missed by the staff at the IDC. We miss seeing all your faces and spending time laughing and learning with you. As we are adapting to a virtual world, we have been working hard to modify our programs and services to meet the needs of the current climate.
Our Immigration Clinic has moved to Zoom video and telephone conferencing. We have availability every Monday afternoon so please book your appointment through our website. This is a great time to gather documents and get questions answered while your home and possibly looking for projects. See the link below for documents need for US Citizenship, Irish Citizenship and passport renewals.
We also have a number of virtual programs that include children's storytelling, a recipe exchange, genealogy and a book club. This afternoon we will have a Zoom hangout with our former Executive Director, Leslie Alcock. Please be sure to join us on Zoom and if you aren’t sure how, call or email Nicola for a quick tutorial. There are also some great videos online that show you how to “Zoom.”
As I said above, many from within this Irish Community have reached out to help. We are happy to take them up on these offers! To start the ball rolling we are pleased to offer several new resources:
1. HR specialist volunteer, Bill McCray will be offering assistance with how to obtain benefits for those that have lost their primary source of income. An appointment can be booked below.
2. Criminal Lawyer, Tom Ivory, is ready to answer any questions that you may have regarding legal worries relating to criminal backgrounds. This is especially helpful for those looking to go for US Citizenship.
3. A team of buddies are ready to help with shopping, drive people to medical appointments, or just pay a porch visit for those who need to see a human face at this time (maintaining an appropriate distance of course!). Please call Nicola on 610-789 6355 ext. 3202 for more information.
We will be revealing a larger community-driven relief effort later this week. Please stay connected to our online media for the details. Stay safe everyone.
Emily Norton Ashinhurst
Executive Director
Free Legal Clinic - Every Monday from 2:30 pm - 5:00 pm via Zoom video conferencing.
Do you need some immigration advice? We are now offering our free immigration clinic through Zoom video conferencing. Every Monday we have one of our Immigration Lawyers available to answer any of your immigration questions or concerns. All are welcome. Our appointments are confidential and can be booked via our website using the butting below. For those of you who are unable to access Zoom, we can also do phone consultations.
Virtual Recipe Exchange - Wednesdays at 3 pm via Zoom video conferencing
Join us for some relaxation and ideas in our Virtual Recipe Exchange. Over Zoom, we will share recipe tips and tricks, from the quick and easy to the more advanced. All are welcome and participation is encouraged.
Zoom Meeting sign-in
https://us04web.zoom.us/j/533532476?pwd=VnFObDJUM2RZc3pKNjQ0Rlo5UTZRZz09
Meeting ID: 533 532 476
Password: 614613
Irish American Genealogy Group - Identify your Ancestors
Thursday, April 2 at 3 pm - Facebook Live on the Irish Diaspora Center Facebook Page
Do you have old family photos lying around your house which you can’t identify the individuals? Now is a great time to get organized and do some detective work. Irish Philadelphia's Lori Lander Murphy will give her first-ever Genealogy Facebook Live session for the Irish Diaspora Center which can help you solve some mysteries! Lori will give you contextual clues, identifying marks, details on clothing and photographers studios to help you get closer to their identity.
Virtual Storytime and Craft Session
Friday, April 3 at 2 pm- Facebook Live on the Irish Diaspora Center Facebook Page
Tune into our virtual storytelling every Friday at 2 pm direct from Ireland to keep the young ones in your family entertained. Every week we will have a different story and craft-making activity. This is suitable for children up to 9 years old.
