How The Framingham Community Can Help Asylum-Seeking Families

FRAMINGHAM – Since Friday night, Mayor Charlie Sisitsky, First Lady Robin Kaye, elected City leaders, the legislative delegation, and others have been providing medical assistance, food, clothing, and other immediate needs to about a dozen asylum-seeking families in Framingham, placed in a hotel by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

These families have entered the Emergency Assistance Family Shelter System as asylum seekers and are currently homeless because of their new arrival status.

The Massachusetts Executive Office of Housing & Livable Communities (EOHLC), specifically the Division of Housing Stabilization, is responsible for administration of the Emergency Assistance Family Shelter System, which is obligated under the Right to Shelter statute to shelter all eligible unhoused families with at least one child (defined as under 21).

Due to a recent surge in the number of homeless families in Massachusetts, the Office of Refugees & Immigrants (ORI), has begun placing family into hotels as a last resort.

The Department of Public Health (DPH) is supporting health and medical needs of new arrivals and a Rapid Response Team including nurses has been onsite to assess medical needs.

Framingham first responders and Framingham Public Health officials also assisted these individuals with medical needs.

Over the weekend, Mayor Sisitsky, the First Lady, the legislative delegation, including Rep. Jack Patrick Lewis, Rep. Priscila Sousa, and Rep. Kate Donaghue, along with City Council Chair Phil Ottaviani, School Committee member Valerie Ottaviani, and Councilors Adam Steiner and Leora Mallach have been assisting these Haitian families.

Since yesterday, Jewish Family Service of Metrowest is currently serving as the primary point of contact for these families in Framingham, and will be coordinating directly with local non-profit, faith-based groups, and civic organizations to coordinate additional support for these families as the needs arise.

The Framingham-based non-profit is also working closely with City and State agencies to support these families.

The public can help with some of these needs for these roughly 40 individuals.

The City has established two drop-off sites.

• Framingham Fire headquarters at 10 Loring Drive
• Framingham Fire Station #2 at 75 A Street

Items can be dropped off between the hours of 8 a.m. and 8 p.m.

Please do not drop off at other times.

Items needed are:

• Cases/packs of bottled water
• Cases of shelf-stable juice
• Pedialyte
• Shelf stable milk and/or powdered milk
• Baby Wipes
• Diapers (Size 4)
• Pull ups (Size 4-5)
• NEW socks and underwear in all sizes (toddler, child and adult)
• Bubbles
• Sidewalk chalk

Please do not drop off items that are not on the list above.

Community members can also make a donation to Jewish Family Service, a 50c13 organization so needed items can be purchased for the asylum-seeking families from Haiti.

Here is the link:  Framingham Asylum Seekers Assistance Fund (wufoo.com)

“This is a dynamic situation and we will keep the community informed if and when additional needs arise,” said Mayor Sisitsky, who said it was heartwarming to see the community come together to help these families.