All photos courtesy of Sheldon Golder
This past Thursday on July 11th, JFS of Metrowest held a celebration to honor our clients that have recently gained US citizenship through our Citizenship for New Americans Program (CNAP). In the past year alone, JFS has assisted clients from across the world including Haiti, Russia, Brazil, the Dominican Republic, Germany, Egypt, China, Peru, Cameroon, Japan, Ghana, Uzbekistan, India, Colombia and many more countries – largely representing the diverse cultural fabric of the Metrowest area we proudly serve.
As a potluck event, we were fortunate to have clients bring in delicious dishes and desserts from their own cultures. We enjoyed homemade baklava, delicious dumplings, fried yucca, true Italian pasta, tasty meatballs and more! Among the favorites was a cake decorated to resemble an American flag, the work of one of our own citizenship caseworkers, Maggie Kenney.
The evening allowed clients to mingle, sharing the reasons they chose to apply for citizenship and experiences becoming officially naturalized. Family members shared what it meant to them, with some expressing hope to become citizens in the future as well. JFS staff were also thankful for the opportunity to catch up with clients they had not seen in months. To end the evening, the new Americans shared what becoming a citizen meant to them.
Congratulations to America’s newest citizens!
We are honored to be part of your journey!
Learn more:
Volunteer with the JFS Citizenship for New Americans program
JFS of MetroWest helps 98 Year Old Woman Become a U.S. Citizen