COVID-19 support and virtual programs
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.
