The Massachusetts Immigrant Collaborative is grateful to our supporters for helping us to empower 4,441 people from immigrant communities. We began 2024 by coming together for our annual retreat and spent the day sharing our accomplishments, what we learned in 2023, and how these learnings will shape our priorities going forward. Most importantly, we heard about each other’s successes, challenges, the communities each of us serves and how each partner supports and empowers them. Some serve as welcome centers for newcomers arriving daily, connecting them to shelter and resources. Several offer hunger relief including bulk food distribution and meals; and others provide education and leadership opportunities for young immigrants.
We learned about the need to advocate for workers’ rights and educate immigrant workers experiencing wage theft and other exploitation. In 2023, migrant farm workers in the western part of the state lost jobs when record-breaking floods destroyed farmland during the summer growing season. Our partners in the Pioneer Valley were there to support them. Throughout Massachusetts, whether greater Boston, Middlesex County, Pioneer Valley or New Bedford, our partners are working with a growing immigrant population in need of housing, health and other services.
