Fieldsite Proposal Assignment 1

Henry Gusick
Professor Anyango
Seminar in Composition: Diversity
February 10, 2023
JFCS Pittsburgh
Fieldsite Proposal Assignment
According to Pittsburgh’s NPR news station, “76,000 Afghans have evacuated their
country following the withdrawal of US troops in the region”. On top of these numbers, over 2
million Ukrainians have fled their country due to conflicts with Russia. Nearly 800 Afghans have
been relocated to Pittsburgh along with 166 Ukranians. These numbers are exponentially larger
than the previous years and together refugee resettlement agencies have been working diligently
to help with the relocation, education, and protection of these vulnerable individuals. The
organizations I have researched are the AJAPO, the Bethany Christian Services, the Hello
Neighbor Organization, and the Jewish Family and Community Services of Pittsburgh.
An area I have a great interest in is the relocation of refugees from military bases in
Allegany country. The Hello Neighbor organization has been responsible for over 700 refugees
being moved into new homes. It is extremely difficult for refugees to integrate into their
surrounding communities due to discrimination and misrepresentation. The Hello Neighbor
organization has been helping the majority of refugees in Pittsburgh to find homes and find
suitable landlords that will rent to them at affordable costs. At the Hello Neighbor Organization,
they believe in equality and inclusion. They uphold the belief that as a community it is the duty
of those people to, “stand beside immigrants regardless of race, religion, age, national origin,
citizenship status, or sexual orientation.”

I have also looked into other programs, such as the AJAPO, which have specialized in
citizenship and jobs for immigrants. They help provide green cards for refugees as well as
support younger immigrants with education and mentorship. Although Housing, education, and
adjustment of status are important areas of support, I have decided to look towards other
pathways. I believe the inclusion of refugees into the community isn’t an issue that can be
smoothly resolved. I believe that there are severe underlining issues of mental health and
counseling for these people may be the quickest way to find solutions for them. Like we have
learned from our Notebook 1 assignment, Refugees sacrifice their language, culture, home, and
even their names to integrate into a new society. A program that is open to this approach in
counseling is the Jewish Family and Community Services of Pittsburgh.
On the JFCS Pittsburgh website, there is a seemingly easy way to sign up as a volunteer
using just an email, password, and phone number. They allow you to pick your own hours and
even select your own areas of support. One of these areas of support is called Counseling
services - General. Comparably to other programs like the Hello Neighbor this program, the
JFCS, I believe has the easiest and most accessible way to sign up, donate, and volunteer for
helping this aread of interest. That is one of the reasons I am not concerned about the difficulties
in researching this area of this program. I also have high faith in our guest speaker Abby who
came to speak with us last week. She provided us with helpful contact information to the JFCS
and the information included on the JFCS’s own web page is also very sufficient. I believe I
could understand a lot more about the difficulties these refugees face as well as understand the
first steps into helping them integrate as future American Citizens.

I also may face some difficulties in researching through the JFCS that I will explain now.
The JFCS unlike Hello Neighbor is much smaller and due to the substantial increase of
immigrants in Pittsburgh I described earlier, the JFCS are much more preoccupied. Sending an
email out or placing a phone call may be more difficult that it seems. The answers I may also
receive may be less informative due to the JFCS’s focus and diligence towards helping the
overwhelming amount of refugees. Not to mention they could be shorter staffed and they could
also be less inclined to sit down and talk to college students opposed to the Hello Neighbor
program which is the largest in the Allegany county.
Regardless of these truths, the JFCS program best fits my own personal area of expertise
as well as the refugee communities in need. As a college student studying for a major in
Psychology, I have come to believe that there is a lack of funding and research surrounding our
institutions for mental health in America. Mental health problems are constantly overlooked and
ignored so I believe it is my duty to understand more and to try my hardest to relate to these
people who have had different experiences or problems than myself. If society and people
functioned perfectly at all times then there would not be a need for such programs to help these
refugees. Everything would operate smoothly for refugees and they would find jobs and housing
as easy as other people who are already included within the communities of allegany county.
Unfortunately this is not the case because not all humans are angels. We want refugees to feel at
home and not to feel like aliens living in a strange and unfamiliar place. That is why I have
chosen the JWCS and why I believe it is the best program to consider for my Fieldsite research.

Fieldsite Proposal Assignment 1

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Fieldsite Proposal Assignment 1

Uploaded by

Henry Gusick

Seminar in Composition: Diversity

February 10, 2023

Fieldsite Proposal Assignment

surrounding communities due to discrimination and misrepresentation. The Hello Neighbor

citizenship status, or sexual orientation.”

counseling is the Jewish Family and Community Services of Pittsburgh.

first steps into helping them integrate as future American Citizens.

program which is the largest in the Allegany county.

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