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Rebirth is a local 501 (c)(3) nonprofit organization based in Salisbury, MD. We were created in 1998 and legalized in 2002, to empower immigrants, lown income workers and enriching our local communities here in the U.S, we are also support supporting a community school in Lagonave, Haiti.

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Our goals: Is Strengthening, Empowering and Protecting the legal rights of the immigrant workers, refugees, including the most vulnerable in our community, on the path toward better social adjustment.

Advocating for fair treatment and policies toward immigrants and refugees, working at both the individual and community levels. We helps them not only to survive but also to thrive in a this new country.

I along with some of my brothers, late Pastr. Jones Lagrandeur and other community members founded Rebirth, Inc., with the goal of helping specially the underprivileged immigrant families in our community in Wicomico county and the greater Delmarva region.

 

Our vision is to restore dignity and foster social integration among the disadvantaged through basic education, information, social services, communication and outreach. We are part of coalition of Haitian groups and churches and we work closely with individuals serving Latino immigrants. Many immigrants in this region face numerous barriers due to language differences and discrimination. Immigrants are also impacted by poverty and trauma. For instance, in Wicomico County alone, there are 2,000 Haitian immigrants that fled Haiti after the 2010 earthquake, notwithstanding thousands others who have been living there before them; which is estimated in 7000. They lost everything and are trying to start over. They more likely will end up in a low skilled and low paying job, to be more specific the poultry industry, field/farm works and restaurants, where their humanity will be trempled on.

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We also have a radio station with  programming in Creole, English and Spanish. It serves as an important way to communicate to the 15,000 Haitians and other minorities on the Delmarva Peninsula. Our efforts are largely volunteer, but we give our best, because we know our community needs Rebirth.

 

My brothers and I are immigrants. We came to Salisbury, MD in 1992 from Haiti and neither of us spoke a word of English. I was 17 and went to the James M. Bennett High School  (JMB) and was helped by their English Language Learner (ELL) program, but I still experienced social exclusion in a number of ways, such as: bullying, discrimination, cultural prejudice and lacked of immigration paperwork to attend college etc... My brother is younger than I am. When he attended JMB, he already spoke some English and was a star soccer player.  Being on the school soccer team helped Nahum greatly. However, unlike some of the other kids on the team, accessing a college soccer program was not possible for him. There were simply too many barriers.

 

Our experience in this community as adolescent teens impacted us. We understand what it means to be excluded. We are familiar with the barriers that so many immigrants face.  We are dismayed that basic resources are becoming so hard to access for immigrant workers, low income families kids when they are such important part of their daily lives.

As part of our vision for Rebirth, Inc., we organized workers' programs, including

 

•     Radio Oasis | Communication, education,  information

•     Recovirsce (Rebirth Covid-19 Virtual School Support Center)

•     Advocacy | Immigrant / workers rights, health & safety issues local and national

•     Health and Safety program | stay healthy & prevention/literacy

•     Opiod Outreach | Education, prevention and treatment

•     Interpreting & translation: Bridging the gap for people & orgs.

•     Flag Day Heritage Celebration | An annual cultural festival

•     Backpacks Giveaway | back to school giveaway to low income

•     Soccer Program | children soccer clinic  & family leisure       

•     Financial Literacy: Improve financial well-being of the immigrants community without barrier.

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This organization offers on an important opportunity to give resources back to the immigrant community and pave the way for better social inclusion among immigrant workers and low income families.