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Senior Activites – June 2013 June 10, 2013 ^
Check out the Senior Activities for the month of June with the IPC.
Call Eileen O’Callaghan at 617-265-5300 X14 if you have any questions.
IPC Seniors go bowling May 8, 2013 ^
Senior moments from the IPC.by Eileen O’Callaghan
Email me at eileenoc@ipcboston.org or call 617 265 5300 x 13
Cara Club
This past week we were missing two of the wonderful volunteers, we wish Mai Gallagher and Evelyn Flaherty speedy recoveries! And a huge thanks to Emer Mezzetti for holding down the fort!
‘The Great Gatsby’ May 2013 remake of the Roaring Twenties’
Starring Leonardo DiCaprio as the enigmatic millionaire Gatsby, Carey Mulligan as his lost love Daisy and Tobey Maguire as confidante Nick Carraway, the film is “timely” in its criticism of wealth, says Luhrmann, the new director for its 2013 remake. The Great Gatsby is the Irish American author’s most popular novel and has been made into numerous movies, spanning nearly 90 years; 1926, 1949, 1974, 2000 and the upcoming 2013 adaption. Set in the prosperous Long Island in 1922, The Great Gatsby provides a critical social history of America during the Roaring Twenties within its compelling literary narrative. That era, known for unprecedented economic prosperity, the evolution of jazz music, the flapper culture, and bootlegging and other criminal activity, is plausibly depicted in Fitzgerald’s novel, This remake will be released in the US on May 16th and I think will prove to be a real treat!
Lucky strike – The IPC goes bowling
The City of Boston Elderly Commission will host the Boston Senior Games; billiards and bowling, on Friday May 10 at Boston Bowl, Dorchester. The IPC invites those interested in bowling to join us! Amateurs, ten pin connoisseurs and everything in-between are welcome to join us. Contact Eileen for more information!
Volunteer Appreciation Dance:
Join the IPC for a night of entertainment, May 18th at the Irish Social Club in West Roxbury to show our appreciation for our wonderful volunteers; Mai Gallagher, Mary Gardiner & Angela Durkin!
Weekly walking at the IPC
Spring/Summer have finally reached us here at the IPC in Dorchester. With a spring in our steps we invite all to join us for light walking in the Dorchester area after our coffee morning on.
Please feel free to call Eileen at 617 265 5300 x 13 for more information on IPC Senior Citizen Outreach Program activities and services
Immigration Bill – Relief for Undocumented May 8, 2013 ^
Immigration News, By Kieran C. O’Sullivan
Immigration Counselor
Support for undocumented grows
According to a new CBS poll published on May 1, 83% of Americans now support immigration reform. This is good news but we need those who support reform to make calls and write letters and email to those who represent them in Congress.
Relief for undocumented: New bill to create registered provisional immigrant (RPI) status
The proposed Senate bill creates a new status, registered provisional immigrant, for individuals who were physically present in the U.S. on or before Dec. 31, 2011; have maintained continuous presence until the date of application; have paid all federally assessed tax liabilities, fees and penalties; and have not been convicted of certain criminal offenses.
To be eligible for RPI status, a person must have been continuously present in the U.S. from Dec. 31, 2011, until granted RPI status, except for “brief, casual and innocent” or authorized departures. If readers have questions on RPI status, attend our clinic Tuesday May 7th.
Immigration bill and arrests
I’ve been getting calls from Irish immigrants hoping to qualify for status if immigration reform efforts are successful. Some of them have been asking me if tax and license fraud and old driving offenses will prohibit them from applying for status. Every person in such a case is strongly advised to talk to an attorney on their case. According to the present language in the proposed bill, Irish immigrants who are undocumented may not qualify for relief if:
- They have been convicted of an aggravated felony;
- They have been convicted of a felony;
- They have been convicted of 3 or more misdemeanors;
- They have been convicted of an offense under foreign law;
- They have unlawfully Voted; and
- Are deemed Inadmissible for Criminal, National Security, Public Health, or other morality grounds.
Immigrants attending our clinics with questions on reform bill specific to the above are reminded to bring certified docket sheets and court records so the attorney can render an opinion. Our attorneys are not in a position to advise if complete records are not available to them.
H1b cap may be raised.
At the present time there are no H1b visas left from the batch of 65,000 coming on-stream on Oct. 1, 2013. (Visas remain for tax exempt organizations.) They were all gone within days of April 1 when US companies filed a record amount of petitions. (People are allowed file six months ahead of the Oct 1 release date with a start work date of Oct. 1) The new immigration bill proposes to raise the base cap of 65,000 to 110,000. It also contains a proposal to amend the current 20,000 exemption for U.S. advanced degree holders to be a 25,000 exemption for advanced degree graduates in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics from U.S. Schools.
Immigration Reform & Legal Clinic
We will discuss in detail the new bill proposed in Congress and how it will affect Irish immigrants at our May 7th clinic. Our monthly legal clinics provide Irish immigrants with an opportunity to sit down and have a confidential consultation with an immigration attorney. Questions on visas, green cards, citizenship and other legal matters are answered one to one on a confidential basis. Our clinic is on Tuesday evening May 7th at The Banshee, 934 Dorchester Avenue, Dorchester. It will begin at 6:30 pm and we expect to be there for a couple of hours.
Legal Clinic:
If you have questions on the reform bill, attend our next legal clinic: May 7th, 6:30pm, The Banshee, 934 Dorchester Ave., Dorchester. We will have attorneys present to answer queries on visas, detentions, US citizenship, expiring green cards, and immigration reform.
Disclaimer: Please note that the information contained in it is provided to inform generally, and is not intended as a substitute for individual advice. Immigration law is subject to frequent changes and individual circumstances can affect the application of certain legal provisions. For individual legal advice, please contact the Irish Pastoral Centre directly regarding upcoming legal clinics or consultation with an immigration attorney.
ICE Continue to target … May 8, 2013 ^
Legal Permanent Residents with past convictions - More ICE detentions
More immigrants have been picked up this week by Immigration & Customs Enforcement (ICE). ICE appear to be aggressively detaining legal permanent residents who have past convictions. Because of client confidentiality we cannot release specific details but we can confirm an Irish person is among those detained this past week. Our attorneys are now suggesting that any legal permanent residents with past convictions should consider having a consultation with an attorney to make sure the conviction is not one serious enough to render them deportable. The IPC monthly clinic will take place on Tuesday May 7th at 6:30 PM in the Banshee, 934 Dorchester Ave. Dorchester. MA. Attorney Chris Lavery who fielded the detention calls this week said, “If attending our legal clinic to discuss a past criminal case, please obtain the certified docket sheets from the court house where the case was heard and bring to the clinic for review.” Many attorneys will refuse to advice on a case without seeing the court records. For more information, email Kieran C. O’Sullivan, kieran@ipcboston.org
Immigration Reform bill raises many questions April 29, 2013 ^
By Kieran C. O Sullivan, Immigration Counselor
Evading arrest warrants
Chris Lavery, immigration attorney, recently reminded an Irish immigrant to show up for a US court hearing. Failing to show up for a court hearing usually results in a warrant being issued for an individual’s arrest. Police, and Immigration & Customs Enforcement (ICE) if they are notified, will then attempt to apprehend the individual. A person, once a fugitive from justice, faces serious consequences for such actions. She/he could be detained at a subsequent apprehension whether they come to the attention at a traffic stop, as a result of a police tip, or at an airport trying to board a plane.
A person, once a fugitive from justice is likely to be added to the Department of Homeland Security’s fugitive alert lists. “We always advise people, regardless of immigration status, to first consult a criminal defense attorney and then show up for court hearings – while there is a risk that a person will be detained by ICE at court, the consequences of failing to appear can be much worse,” said Chris Lavery. An immigrant who has an open warrant is also unlikely to be able to adjust status via marriage to a US citizen or pursue legal status if current immigration reform efforts are successful without first resolving the outstanding criminal issue.
Tampering with passports
Many of our readers will be aware of our past warnings to people about tampering with passports whether the purpose of it is to change a persons date of birth or visa status. Tampering with government documents is a very serious offense. If investigated by authorities, such actions could result in apprehension by US law enforcement officials.
Corkman represents undocumented on MSNBC
We were contacted by program directors at MSNBC recently, and they were looking for Irish representation in a studio panel discussion on immigration. Pat Punch, a hard working Irish painter on Cape Cod, agreed to represent us on the national show. Pat spoke on immigration and how the President’s deferred action announcement last year positively affected his family.
http://video.msnbc.msn.com/msnbc/51541260#51541260
IPC in the news
The IPC and its programs received coverage in recent editions of the Irish Times, the Irish Independent, and online at Irishcentral.com
Immigration Reform bill raises many questions
The publication of the details of the Immigration Reform bill has prompted many questions form callers who wonder if they will qualify for legal status if it becomes law. The following are just a sample of the questions:
I entered in February 2012, so does this mean although I’m undocumented now, I won’t qualify for a visa under this bill? I’ve been here undocumented ten years, if I went home once five years agoand returned again a month later, can I still benefit from this reform bill?If I applied for and got a Massachusetts license by fraud, will it preventme from applying for immigration status in the US?
I have been working since arriving in America. Do I have to file tax returns before I file for status if reform efforts are successful?
We should add that there is an outline of the bill on our website:www.ipcboston.org It is not the entire bill (which is over 1500 pages), butan outline of the main components of it.
Legal Clinic:
If you have questions on the reform bill, attend our next legal clinic: May 7th, 6:30pm, The Banshee, 934 Dorchester Ave., Dorchester. We will have attorneys present to answer queries on visas, detentions, US citizenship, expiring green cards, and immigration reform.
Next Legal Clinic
Our next legal clinic will be on May 7th at 6:30 pm in The Banshee, 934 Dorchester Ave. Dorchester. Meantime call or email me with any questions.
Disclaimer: Please note that the information contained in it is provided to inform generally, and is not intended as a substitute for individual advice. Immigration law is subject to frequent changes and individual circumstances can affect the application of certain legal provisions. For individual legal advice, please contact the Irish Pastoral Centre directly regarding upcoming legal clinics or consultation with an immigration attorney.
Senior moments from the IPC April 29, 2013 ^
by Eileen O’Callaghan, Senior Outreach Coordinator
Email me at eileenoc@ipcboston.org or call 617 265 5300 x 13
Michelle from Registry of Motor Vehicles
Michelle joined us from the registry of motor vehicles to share some driving tips and advice. The most motor crashes occur between two extreme age groups; teenagers and seniors. Most crashes occur for seniors at intersections and when pulling out into a side street. The most important factors which may affect your driving and you need to be aware of are;
- Vision – ensure you have regular eye visits and check-ups. Moreover ensuring your peripheral vision is in good working order.
- Reflexes – as we age our reaction time slows down. However we can improve this over time by completing brain exercises, learning a new skill and by regular social activity.
- Exercises – ensuring our body is in full working order is very important when it comes to driving. Small, low impact exercises can make a big difference. Try foot circles, trunk exercises and head turns first thing in the morning.
- Medications – Michelle stressed the importance of constant vigilance regarding driving and medications. Driving after taking medications which can render one sleepy and tired can result in an OUI (operating under the influence).
Many thanks to Michelle for her time and for sharing her knowledge!
This month’s Boston Seniority Magazine
Check out the back page of Aprils’ (Boston Elder Commission) magazine to see some great pictures of the Cara Club celebrating Saint Patrick’s Day at the Veronica Smith Senior Centre. All look great in green!!
Computer lessons at the IPC
Our computer lessons with Boston College finished this week. We would like to thank our 6 fantastic BC students for sharing their knowledge and time. It really was great fun! The IPC and BC hope to run more lessons in Brighton and Dorchester in the Fall so stay tuned!
Please feel free to call Eileen at 617 265 5300 x 13 for more information on IPC Senior Citizen Outreach Program activities and services
IPC welcomes Maura McAvoy April 29, 2013 ^
The IPC welcomes Maura McAvoy to our team of volunteers here at the IPC. Maura will be assistant to the Pastoral Associate.
Maura is currently between positions and considers herself a creative agent for change, helping people meet the challenges they face and is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor. Maura is currently working collaboratively with Sr. Marguerite offering social outreach to the Irish community.
Maura’s drive towards helping others is; “To give back and hopefully bring joy and hope to those I serve.”
Born in Southie, she is first generation Irish American and the proud mother of two wonderful daughters and seven, even more delightful grandchildren. She says her proudest moment was when, most recently her grandson asked her to be his Confirmation sponsor!
Maura doesn’t limit her volunteerism to the IPC she is also an Ignatian Volunteer, following in the footsteps of her daughter who was a Jesuit Volunteer.
We are so glad to have Maura here with us at the IPC and feel that her skill set ideally meets the Mission of the IPC.
Maura McAvoy
Drivers’ licenses, reform and detentions April 22, 2013 ^
By Kieran C. O Sullivan
Immigration Counselor
Gary Feeney, Rest in Peace.
What an awful week it has been in our city. On Monday morning we were shocked to learn of the tragic death of local construction worker Irish immigrant Gary Feeney. We’ve lost so many young people in construction accidents down through the years. A huge crowd attended the wake and funeral at St. Brendan’s in Dorchester and the crowds of people present spoke volumes for the high regard in the community for the Feeney family. At this time, our thoughts and prayers are with them, his wife Kelly, relatives and Feeney Brothers construction crews who are mourning the loss of their friend and work colleague.
Drivers’ licenses, reform and detentions
We are relieved that a week has gone by with no further detentions. We continue to get calls from people on this topic and we are now advising those who have questions to attend our next legal clinic on May 7th. We aim to have extra attorney present that evening. Everything discussed with the attorneys remain strictly confidential.
Chris Lavery continues to caution immigrants about applying for licenses using fraudulent documents, stating, “it is a crime of moral turpitude and the ground of inadmissibility is broad enough to include offenses that the person had not been arrested for.” Anyone who wants clarification on this aspect can chat confidentially with our attorneys at the next clinic.
Reform bill details released
At the time of going to print, the group US senators who have been working on the reform issue have published a bill: The Border Security, Economic Opportunity, and Immigration Modernization Act of 2013. We will try to get a copy of it put up on our site this coming week. Our website is www.ipcboston.org
Among the key items of mention is the trigger date of December 31, 2011 as a cut off for those eligible to apply for the status. This means that many undocumented Irish who entered the US after December 2011 will not benefit from this particular reform proposal. Our hope is that through a lot of phone calls, letters and advocacy, that there might be some flexibility on this date.
The act also proposes to create a new nonimmigrant classification known as the W-Visa for low skilled workers. The W visa will be for those who want to come to the US to perform services or labor for a registered employer in a registered position. The spouse and minor children of the W visa holder will be allowed to accompany or follow to join and will be given work authorization for the same period of admission the W nonimmigrant is allowed to be here.
Know your rights if ICE approaches – so many questions
· Is it safe for me to travel around the US?
· Should I take the train instead of flying? Can I meet relatives at the airport if my visa expired last week?
· Can US immigration just come in and search my car or house?
· Do I have to talk to them or can I call an attorney first?
· If they take me into custody, what happens to my children?
· Can I get a drivers license without being here legal?
· If I use fake documents to get a license, will it ruin my chances of getting legal status later?
These were some of the questions fielded recently on our line. If you have similar concerns, come and have a private consultation with one of our attorneys. The next IPC legal clinic will be on Tuesday May 7th, at the Banshee, 934 Dorchester Ave., Dorchester. Attorneys will answer questions on visa, immigration reform, drivers’ licenses and immigrant rights.
Tax Deadline extended after attacks.
The Internal Revenue Service says victims of the Boston Marathon bombings can take an additional three months to file and pay their federal income taxes. The agency announced Tuesday that all residents of Suffolk County, Mass., including the City of Boston, can take the additional time to file. People affected by bombing who live elsewhere can claim the extension by calling the IRS at 1-866-562-5227, starting April 23rd.
Next Legal Clinic
Our next legal clinic will be on May 7th at 6:30pm in The Banshee, 934 Dorchester Ave. Dorchester. Meantime call or email me with any questions.
Disclaimer: Please note that the information contained in it is provided to inform generally, and is not intended as a substitute for individual advice. Immigration law is subject to frequent changes and individual circumstances can affect the application of certain legal provisions. For individual legal advice, please contact the Irish Pastoral Centre directly regarding upcoming legal clinics or consultation with an immigration attorney.
Get Happy at the IPC April 22, 2013 ^
Eileen O’Callaghan
Email me at eileenoc@ipcboston.org or call 617 265 5300 x 13
IPC event at the ICCNE – April 18th
As usual a great time was had at the ICCNE in Canton. Fintan Stanley kept us all on the dance floor with some great Irish tunes. Thanks to all whom called ahead to reserve a spot to ensure we don’t overcrowd the hall. Huge thanks to our wonderful volunteers who made the event run so smoothly. We look forward to seeing you all on Thursday, May 16th again!
Lucky strike – The IPC goes bowling
The City of Boston Elderly Commission will host the Boston Senior Games; billiards and bowling, on May 10 at Boston Bowl, Dorchester. The IPC invites those interested in bowling to join us! Amateurs, ten pin connoisseurs and everything in-between are welcome to join us. Contact Eileen on 617.265.5300 for more information!
Computers lessons at the IPC
This Tuesday sees the end of our computer lessons here at the IPC. For the last few months a dedicated bunch of undergraduate students from Boston College have been sharing tips, knowledge and laughs with our seniors. All have really enjoyed the lessons. A huge thanks to the BC students for sharing their time and such a wonderful experience with us!
Get Happy with the IPC
Studies show that America’s happiest people get at least two hours a day of interaction with friends or family. If you proactively choose the right social network, bliss and happiness can be contagious. Harvard University research found that with each happy friend we add to our social circle, our own happiness grows by 9 percent. For each unhappy friend, our happiness declines by 7 percent. So find people you like, and commit to routines that put you in contact with them regularly. All the best people are at IPC coffee groups! Mondays in Brighton at the Veronica Smith Centre from 1pm and Wednesdays at the IPC in Dorchester from 10am. Come find some more happiness, baked goodies and hot Irish tea!!
Please feel free to call Eileen at 617 265 5300 x 13 for more information on IPC Senior Citizen Outreach Program activities and services
