According to the US Census 2006 American Community Survey, Hillsborough County is home to the most racially and ethnically diverse communities in the state of New Hampshire. More than 1.100 refugees have been resettled in Manchester since 2002. Predominantly Eastern European and African, these new arrivals join the thousands of immigrants already settled in Manchester, Nashua, and the towns of Hillsborough County. This department focuses on services and programming for these individuals and collaborates with others in the community to meet their unique needs. Services include comprehensive training, outreach, employment assistance, English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) services, translation, economic development, coordination of services and referral to external resources.
Programming includes:
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Escuelita (a summer enrichment program for inner city children)
Escuelita (a summer enrichment program for inner city children)*Bilingual assistance in completing forms and applications
Bilingual assistance in completing forms and applications*Spanish interpretation and translation services
Spanish interpretation and translation services*English as a Second Language (ESL) classes
English as a Second Language (ESL) classesThe Latin American Center
The Latin American Center has been providing services to the Latino population of Manchester for more than 35 years. Currently more than 300 Latino households visit the Center annually, and more than 90% of these are low to very low income. The programs and services provided assistance to individuals in their daily activities as they acclimate to life in the United States, and empower them to function more independently and achieve greater success in overcoming the socioeconomic, language, and cultural barriers they face. These services include basic information and referral, interpretation (frequently in medical and legal settings), translation of documents and applications, and advocacy.
ALPHA Youth Services
ALPHA (ALliance for the Progress of Hispanic Americans) serves low-income at-risk adolescents in Grades 6 through 12. The program operates out of the Manchester Boys and Girls Club facility in Manchester, and collaborates closely with the organization as well as the Manchester School District and Salvation Army. ALPHA membership averages more that 400 youths on an annual basis, with approximately half of the members being Latino, 24% white, and 26% black. Many of these youths are newly arrived refugees and immigrants who face major educational and socioeconomic barriers to success.
ALPHA attempts to address the academic, social, and recreational needs of the members, and to help them develop skills to make positive choices. Members are challenged to develop leadership skills and establish personal goals through a variety of activities such as organized soccer, dance groups and digital arts, the families are engaged as much as possible, so that each child can be encouraged to develop as a person and as a successful member of the community.
