The Global Switchboard

Pittsburgh sisters Jamie and Ali McMutrie moved to Port-au-Prince in 2002 and 2006, respectively, not long after each graduated school. They saw developing world poverty and its devastating effect on families – forcing many to give up children simply due to the inability to provide for them. Haitian Families First nurtures and empowers families in […]

Haitian Families First

November 22, 2017 6:58 pm Comments Off

Haitian Families First nurtures and empowers families in despair through emotional, social, and financial support, ensuring children remain with their biological families and out of unnecessary institutions.

City of Asylum

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We provide sanctuary to endangered literary writers, so that they can continue to write and their voices are not silenced. We offer a broad range of literary programs in a variety of community settings to encourage cross-cultural exchange. We anchor neighborhood economic development by transforming blighted properties into homes for these programs and energizing public spaces through public art with text-based components.

Casa San Jose

4:33 pm Comments Off

Casa San Jose is a community resource center that advocates for and empowers Latinos by promoting integration and self-sufficiency. Casa San Jose’s vision is to model a strong culture of acceptance and integration in which immigrants and other newcomers are treated with dignity, respect, and kindness and can freely preserve and celebrate their unique cultures while adapting to their new lives in the Greater Pittsburgh area.

Acculturation for Justice, Access and Peace Outreach (AJAPO)

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Since inception in 2001, AJAPO has successfully implemented service coordination programs for refugees/immigrants through the provision of trainings for acculturation, life skills, leadership/conflict resolution skills, counseling, support and referrals for access to education, housing, medical, welfare benefits, and legal services.

In addition, AJAPO provides interpretation and cultural competency services to improve relationships between clients and other service providers. Annually, AJAPO serves up to 300 people.

Pennsylvania Immigration and Citizenship Coalition (PICC)

November 18, 2017 9:01 pm Comments Off

The Pennsylvania Immigration and Citizenship Coalition (PICC) is a diverse coalition of over 50 member organizations across the state. PICC leads and supports campaigns to advance immigrant rights at the local, state, and federal levels; builds immigrant electoral power through voter registration and education; supports grassroots community-led organizations through training and capacity building; and helps increase access to immigration services through the PA is Ready! and WE Lead projects.

Arthur Daniel Alexander

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Daniel Alexander is from Brazil. He began his volunteer work teaching Computer Basics to the children of “Pastoral do Menor”, a community based project in Santarém, one that assists low income working families. As an undergrad student, Daniel and some friends founded a nonprofit organization called GADE Volunteers, which is based in Belem and has the objective to promote volunteerism among youth. A few years later after its foundation, they received an invitation to represent United Nations Volunteers in the Northern Region of Brazil. He has a Bachelor’s Degree in Social Communication and a Master in Business Administration in Marketing. In addition, he spent several years working as a Designer and Creative Director in various advertising agencies.

Jewish Family & Community Services of Pittsburgh

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Jewish Family & Community Services of Pittsburgh, founded in 1937, operates on the principle that strong individuals and families create healthy communities. Our mission is to make a positive difference in the lives of individuals and families through psychological, employment and social services that help individuals and families meet life’s changes and challenges, and empower them to improve their lives.

Hello Neighbor

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Hello Neighbor works to improve the lives of refugees and immigrants by matching them with dedicated neighbors to guide and support them in their new lives. Our signature mentorship program launched in 2017. We also produce community events and programming to educate the community on refugee and immigrant issues. We are always looking for mentors, mentees and supporters, if you’d like to get involved reach out and say hello!

GlobalPittsburgh

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GlobalPittsburgh brings together globally-minded people in the Pittsburgh region through membership activities and hosting programs, we help universities and English Language programs attract more international students, and we coordinate visits for international delegations through the U.S. Department of State.

GlobalPittsburgh has a network of over 500 members, volunteers, and citizen diplomats who ensure that visiting leaders’ and students’ time in the Greater Pittsburgh region provides value to all members of the community.

Kara Lee Mantinaos

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Kara Lee is an experienced program developer and interculturalist who has worked primarily in higher education and offers cultural intelligence consulting and seminars for business, education, and non-profit sectors.

Mana Aliabadi

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Growing up as a first-generation Iranian immigrant in Pittsburgh, Mana returned to her roots to work for Justice at Work (formerly Friends of Farmworkers) in August 2017. She recently completed an M.A. in Immigration Management from Universitat Pompeu Fabra in Barcelona, Spain. While in Europe, she gained both theoretical and practical experience as she studied the current so-called migrant “crisis.” She volunteered as a Farsi language translator and supply distribution coordinator at Oinofyta refugee camp located outside of Athens, Greece. In 2015, she graduated with a B.A. in Law and Society from American University in Washington DC. Throughout her career, Mana has continued to work in diverse fields including social justice organizing, journalism, research and social work. She is thrilled to be back home and put her skills to use, in order to improve the lives of low wage workers and migrants in Pennsylvania and beyond.

Age-Friendly Greater Pittsburgh

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Age-Friendly Greater Pittsburgh brings people of all ages together to rethink how our neighborhoods are built and to take action to make them more inclusive and respectful of every generation. From the laws that impact building codes to the training we need to secure the jobs we want to how we’re treated on the bus, there is work to do as our region’s age demographics shift and we’re presented with a new opportunity. In the next two decades, the number of residents ages 65 and older will increase by 40 percent in Southwestern Pennsylvania. Meeting the needs of an older population certainly comes with challenges, but as more of our residents live longer lives, it means our region has a new, growing resource—people with buying power, career expertise, lived experience, and diverse skills and interests. The time is now to tap into this resource by coming together and ensuring continued opportunities for all. In September 2015, thanks to work by SWPPA members and partners, Pittsburgh and Allegheny County joined the AARP Network of Age-Friendly Communities, kicking off a five-year planning, implementation and evaluation cycle. Our AARP network is part of the World Health Organization’s international initiative.

Justice at Work

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Justice at Work (formerly Friends of Farmworkers) improves the living and working conditions of vulnerable low wage farmworkers, mushroom workers, landscaping workers, and food processing workers in Pennsylvania. We do this through the provision of Legal Services, Education, and Advocacy.

Bhutanese Community Association of Pittsburgh

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The Bhutanese Community Association of Pittsburgh (BCAP) is a refugee based community organization and a local non-profit established in 2012. It’s a 501(c)3 organization registered in the State of Pennsylvania with a mission to help former refugees integrate and thrive in Allegheny County. It conducts civic education classes in partnership with GPLC, civic engagement, connection to services, mental health outreach, cultural celebrations, exchanges, and preservation.

Alliance for Refugee Youth Support and Education (ARYSE)

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ARYSE’s work includes advocacy for education equity and pro-immigrant and refugee policies, organizes summer and other out-of-school-time programming including PRYSE Academy, and provides individualized support to immigrant and refugee youth.

ARYSE’s flagship program is Pittsburgh Refugee Youth Summer Enrichment (PRYSE) Academy – founded in 2013, PRYSE is a three-week summer program that combines English and academic classes, creative expression workshops, civic engagement activities, and sports to help immigrant and refugee youth become prepared for the school year and develop confidence in themselves through sharing and celebrating their cultural identities.

Change Agency

November 6, 2017 2:19 pm Comments Off

Change Agency is a Pittsburgh-based social enterprise on a mission to advance civic initiatives that support community change efforts. Founded in September 2016 by Betty Cruz, Change Agency works with municipal leaders, community-based organizations, institutions, and the business community to make sure all Pittsburghers have a seat at the table. Change Agency’s programs instill welcoming and inclusiveness into the policies and practices put into place in government, business, and community in the Pittsburgh region.

Change Agency’s flagship project, All for All, seeks to take action on the Immigrant Community Blueprint through inclusive advocacy, community engagement, and workforce development.

Change Agency operates out of The Global Switchboard.

Welcoming Pittsburgh

September 28, 2017 4:37 pm Comments Off

Welcoming Pittsburgh is an immigrant and Latino integration strategy launched by Mayor William Peduto in 2014. The following year, Mayor Peduto released a comprehensive citywide plan that established nearly 40 community-led recommendations to advance welcoming efforts. The Mayor’s Office is leading implementation of the plan through cross-sectoral partnerships. Welcoming Pittsburgh is rooted in a commitment to ensure a more livable city for all residents.

Nathan Darity

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Nathan completed his graduate studies at the University of Pittsburgh in public health and international development before beginning work with Amizade Global Service Learning in 2009. He was Amizade’s site director in Brazil for a few years before becoming a Project Director responsible for designing health science programs, overseeing Brazil site development, and leading a variety of Pittsburgh-based initiatives. In 2014 he helped launch The Global Switchboard as a project of Amizade and in 2016 accepted the role of Executive director of The Switchboard following our transition to an independent 501(c)3 nonprofit organization.

Nathan is a former member of the Welcoming Pittsburgh Advisory Council through the Office of the Mayor for the City of Pittsburgh, and the host and organizer of CreativeMornings Pittsburgh, a breakfast lecture series for the creative community.

September 26, 2017 1:40 pm Comments Off

The Global Switchboard is a 501(c)3 organization that stewards a diverse network of people and organizations to transform the Pittsburgh region into a more globally engaged and equitable community.

The Global Switchboard strives to build a region where all people value diversity, practice empathy, and work together to build a more just and peaceful world.

Alaa Mohamed

September 20, 2017 12:49 pm Comments Off

Alaa is an Egyptian-American who obtained a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology and Bachelor of Philosophy in Global Studies from the University of Pittsburgh. After graduation, she became a PULSE fellow and served at The Global Switchboard. Following her year of service, she joined The Global Switchboard team full time.

Alaa loves the city of Pittsburgh and maintains an active role in the community by volunteering at different organizations like the Islamic Center of Pittsburgh (ICP), and serves on the board of Pennsylvania Council for International Education (PACIE).

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