Rural areas recruiting well trained foreign workers for hard to fill jobs

Hundreds of immigrants in Houston often have no access to any social aid. One community, East Aldine, exemplifies this. It lacks sewers, water, or trash collection. But, with the help of one nonprofit residents are bypassing the city, and getting the help they need.

Over decades, domestic care workers in Spain garnered political power by building community and solidarity between different activist groups and using music, theater, and self-expression to help strengthen connection and trust within the movement. Their efforts and protests led to the passage of laws granting these workers social security coverage and protecting them from unfair dismissal and unsafe working conditions, though many with irregular residency are still not able to benefit from these provisions.

Mujeres Migrantes Diversas was founded by women working in domestic service and caregiving jobs and provides mutual support networks and services to migrant women in informal sectors. They provide food assistance, help finding safe shelter, workshops on gender and labor rights, Catalan language classes, and support with immigration procedures among other support services.

The Michigan state legislature temporarily boosted the pay of direct caregivers working with seniors and people that have disabilities by $2 an hour in recognition of their essential and sometimes risky services during the coronavirus pandemic. With about half of direct caregivers living at or near poverty, the pay bump was temporarily renewed at the slightly higher rate of $2.25 an hour, but it is set to expire again in September 2021. The governor has proposed making permanent a pay raise of $2 an hour, which helps the caregivers meet their own basic needs a little better.

The University of Minnesota-Twin Cities has seen its six-year graduation rate for American Indian and Alaska Native students rise from 27 percent in 2008 to 69 percent in 2018, as well as an increase in the number of enrolled students who identify as native. The university credits this achievement to a number of academic and social programs designed to make native students feel welcome on campus, initiatives to increase empathy and understanding by teachers of issues facing native students, a summer institute for indigenous high school students, and more.

Sheroes’ Hangout is a cafe entirely run by acid attack survivors in Agra, India. Acid attacks are unfortunately still prevalent worldwide, usually as a result of a woman turning down a man's advances, but punishment for committing these crimes is still lackadaisical. This cafe, founded in 2006 by an activist organization called Stop Acid Attacks, allows women to not cover their faces, talk openly about their attacks, and just be comfortable with themselves.

A nonprofit organization, the Internationals Network for Public Schools, delivers a first-class education to the children of illegal immigrants, helping to break the cycle of poverty and provide them a path to advance in life.

The Phoenix School of Discovery is an alternative school designed for students with learning and social challenges, with roughly half of students on an individualized education plan, or IEP. The school prioritizes hands-on learning, has multiple teachers in each classroom, and offers accommodations like sensory-friendly lighting and a space for “quiet lunch” for students who find the traditional cafeteria over-stimulating.

After budget cuts and limited resources put a strain on students’ academics, Lingelbach Elementary focused on building community while also training teachers in the science of reading and providing more one-on-one support for students. The percentage of third graders passing English exams has since risen from 26 percent to 71 percent.

The affordable housing crisis in Eagle, Colorado, is creating a severe staff shortage in local schools. So, the school district is partnering with organizations and developers like Habitat for Humanity to develop a mix of new apartments and houses that will be made available to school employees at affordable prices.