We're so glad you're here​. Whether you just arrived in the United States or whether you've been in this country for years, we're happy to be your neighbors.

How can we help?

We are here to try to make your life easier. You can reach out to us if you have questions or problems and we'll do our best to help: contact us at [email protected] or 413-271-5390. The people who answer our phone speak English and Spanish: if you speak another language, please email or text, and we'll get an interpreter to help us respond.

We can help answer questions like:

• What is going on with my asylum case? (Check out our Pro Se Project!)
• Where can I get clothes, food, and other things I need? (Here is a list of resources!)
• What services am I eligible for?
• Where can I sign up for English classes? (Here is a list!)
• Where can I get job training for the career I want?
• What is happening with ICE in Western Massachusetts? (Our partner LUCE can help you feel safer and more informed!)

We can also connect you with a community of other people who have been through, or are going through, the asylum process. We know how hard it is— you don't have to do it alone. 

What do we mean by "Western Massachusetts?"

We are based in a region known as the Pioneer Valley, which contains Franklin, Hampshire, and Hampden counties. The major cities include Springfield, Holyoke, Northampton, Amherst, and Greenfield. There are also rural areas with farms, forests, hiking trails, conservation land, and the Connecticut River. We have over ten colleges and universities, as well as vibrant culture and social life, including live music, movie theaters, restaurants, museums, and shops here.

There are four seasons here: summer, autumn, winter, and spring. Summer can be very hot, and winter can be very cold and snowy. Our autumn season is famous because the tree leaves turn beautiful colors— tourists come from all over to see it!  The weather can also change very quickly, from sunny to rainy and back: there is a saying that goes "if you don’t like the weather in New England, just wait five minutes." 

The people who originally settled Western Massachusetts belonged to the Nipmuc and Pocumtuc nations. When English settlers arrived, they stole the majority of the land in Western Massachusetts from Indigenous nations. They then broke away from England and founded the United States in the 1780s. Many people came to this area in the 1800s and early 1900s to work in factories: this includes immigrants from overseas (such as Ireland, Poland, Greece, Italy, Germany, and Syria), and internal migrations (such as Jewish families coming from New York and African-American families coming from southern states).

When many factories closed in the mid-1900s, Western Mass cities lost a lot of their population and jobs.  These days, the biggest employers in our area are hospitals and other healthcare companies. Today, the population varies a lot depending on the specific city; some cities like Springfield are very diverse, while cities like Greenfield are majority white. Our communities have welcomed many groups of people immigrating from all over the world.