CHESAPEAKE MULTICULTURAL RESOURCE CENTER INC

The Chesapeake Multicultural Resource Center (ChesMRC) empowers people from different cultures to become successful and engaged members of our community through the provision of direct services, as well as educational and informational programs. While the organization serves anyone who requests assistance, our primary focus is to help the Limited English Proficient (LEP) population to successfully integrate into the community.
One of ChesMRC’s key objectives is to connect this vulnerable population to the existing network of public and private service providers (also referred as partners). In addition, we support the outreach efforts of our partners and respond to their requests to intervene in specific cases. ChesMRC became a Department of Justice (DOJ) accredited organization in 2016 and can directly assist, without the need for a lawyer, immigration cases. ChesMRC also became a Certified Application Counselor (CAC) Organization and can directly enroll or renew families into Medicaid and health insurance plans.

OUR GENERAL GOALS AND OBJECTIVES
• Legal Residency & Citizenship Services: Offer legal pathways to residency and citizenship to eligible immigrants by improving and expanding direct services in those areas
• Youth Development: Empower young minds by providing afterschool enrichment, tutoring and mentoring, maintain partnerships with key youth development organizations
• Resource Center: Promote dignity, safety and stability by providing referral services such as Health, Legal, Labor, Social Service, Safety and Housing for immigrants
• Language and Cultural Competency: Promote excellence in bilingual service provision by expanding language interpretation resources and cultural competence training programs
• Community Stature and Collaboration: Foster community collaborations and engagement by increasing community awareness about ChesMRC’s work

ChesMRC has recently purchased a permanent home in to be the new Community Center to the immigrant community in the heart of the minority district in Easton, MD. Our community has benefited since the ChesMRC opened its doors in 2012 in the following ways:

- More services: Over the last year, ChesMRC’s average yearly services increased to 4,798 till June 2021.
- Resilient and engaged immigrant community: By assisting and empowering the immigrant community, all citizens of the Mid Shore
Community will benefit by having a community that is more informed, educated, civically engaged, and economically active.
- Increased cultural vibrancy: ChesMRC has proudly served immigrant clients from approximately 59 different countries and is continuing to expand the number of nationalities we serve.
- Meaningful support for future generations: ChesMRC provides weekly after-school programming for over 70 elementary students in Talbot County. Currently the Easton Elementary student body identifies as 36 percent Hispanic, making these children the majority and no longer the minority.
- Mentoring for future college students: ChesMRC provides mentoring and tutoring services to approximately 20 High School students. First generation students need abundant guidance, support and motivation in their journey to college.
- ChesMRC has provided Scholarships in the amount of $13,000 to first generation college students in 2021 and will continue to disburse $37,000 more in 2022.
- Access to trusted legal services: ChesMRC holds quarterly immigration clinics with experienced immigration attorneys who provide free consultations and affordable legal services. Maintaining a fully functioning DOJ
-Accredited legal clinic on the Eastern Shore results in an estimated $50,000 savings for the vulnerable immigration community.
- Increased professionalism: Through our language access and cultural competence program, more than 50 bilingual individuals have become professionally trained interpreters and almost 1,000 service providers received training on cross-cultural dynamics.
- More programs, outreach, and collaborations: Our new Community Center will allow us to increase our programmatic capacity and outreach efforts. The space will also be available to support initiatives from community partners. A higher level of community integration and inclusiveness will be possible.

With a more convenient and accessible location, our staff is now providing a myriad of services to immigrants throughout the Mid Shore. Services include, but are not limited to, youth development, legal immigration, cultural competence, and interpretive programs.

ChesMRC has worked hard building partnerships with many organizations and service providers throughout the Eastern Shore and are able to quickly and efficiently resolve immediate problems for immigrant families in need. ChesMRC is now a known and trusted resource for on immigration for the Eastern Shore of Maryland.

In partnership with Talbot County Public Schools, funding from local governments and private funding, ChesMRC is able to provide weekly after school programs for at-risk youth students grades 1-12.

- Increased cultural vibrancy: ChesMRC has proudly served over 5060 immigrant clients from approximately 59 different countries and is continuing to expand the number of nationalities we serve.
- ChesMRC provides weekly after-school programming for over 70 elementary students in Talbot County. Currently the Easton Elementary student body identifies as 36% Hispanic, making these children the majority and no longer the minority.
- ChesMRC provides mentoring and tutoring services to approximately 20 High School students. First generation students need abundant guidance, support and motivation in their journey to college.
-ChesMRC has provided Scholarships in the amount of $13,000 to first generation college students in 2021 and will continue to disburse $37,000 more in 2022.
- Access to trusted legal services: ChesMRC holds quarterly immigration clinics with experienced immigration attorneys who provide free consultations and affordable legal services. Maintaining a fully functioning DOJ
-Accredited legal clinic on the Eastern Shore results in an estimated $50,000 savings for the vulnerable immigration community.
- Increased professionalism: Through our language access and cultural competence program, more than 50 bilingual individuals have become professionally trained interpreters and almost 1,000 service providers received training on cross-cultural dynamics.

The amount of work needed to maintain the Resource Center, Youth Programs and the Accredited Legal Clinic for the Eastern Shore is expanding, as we have a rapidly increasing population on the Shore that are in dire need of these services. With a more convenient and accessible location, our staff is now providing a myriad of services to immigrants throughout the Mid Shore. Services include, but are not limited to, youth development, legal immigration, cultural competence, and interpretive programs. Our new Community Center will allow us to increase our programmatic capacity and outreach efforts. The space will also be available to support initiatives from community partners. A higher level of community integration and inclusiveness will be possible.

-Recently ChesMRC was given Pro-bono Champion award by AILA DC chapter for its work with the immigrant community.