Clarisa Mildred Lopez
Job Title: Personal Care Homemaker
From: Guatemala City
Languages: Spanish
With JFS since: May 2024
I was born in Guatemala City and graduated from Mariano Galvez University. I am a mother to three children and came to the United States with the hope of getting ahead in life. It was then that I decided to continue my education to help older adults. I worked for 14 years in Guatemala City at a children’s care center. During this new phase of life, I want to take care of older adults, to fulfill my passion after helping older neighbors as a child. My last job in the U.S. was at the Residence Paine Estate in Wayland caring for older adults.
The work JFS does is very important because we are working with a very vulnerable community and if we can help them guarantee their well-being and quality of life by providing them with emotional, social and physical support. We must do it with all the love and affection just as God has served us.
Ela Artega
Job Title: Homemaker
From: Bolivia
Languages: Spanish & some English
With JFS since: May 2024
I have three children and two grandchildren that currently live in Bolivia but are in the process of coming to the United States. On my spare time, I love to cook and spend time with friends and family. Cooking is one of my passions and hope to open my own restaurant one day!
I enjoy working for JFS because I know how important this work is and enjoy helping others. I am very grateful for the opportunity to work with JFS and the great people of this community!
Amira Elamri
Job Title: Housing Specialist
From: Syria
Languages: English Arabic and French
With JFS since: June 2024
I am currently in school to finish my second bachelor’s degree in legal studies from University of Massachusetts. I enjoy cooking and exploring new places with my husband and three kids. Prior to my work in JFS, I used to work as a special education assistant teacher in a public school. Ever since immigrating to the United States, I have been volunteering with immigration agencies.
I am a Syrian Immigrant myself and I know firsthand how immigrants struggle when they come. JFS is the perfect hand that immigrants need to be able to thrive.
Stephanie J.N
Job Title: Case Manager
From: Haiti
Languages: French, Haitian Creole and English
With JFS since: June 2024
My professional background has been in the personal injury field working as a paralegal or legal assistant. That role entails extensive legal case management, which is transferable into other fields particularly human services. However, after being laid off during the pandemic; I made a career switch to explore my interest in the complex immigration system, the migrant crisis and human services. I volunteered and worked in shelters and different organizations including Catholic Charities with the arriving migrant population doing some clinics, case management and navigation.
From there, I landed a job at an immigration firm assisting attorneys with forms and petitions on client’s behalf. While doing that, I enrolled in two immigration courses that enabled me to have a greater understanding about the immigration system. I obtained my bachelor’s degree from Mercer University with a concentration in communication studies in 2015 and earned my master’s degree in law in May of 2020 at Western New England University while working full time during the day and taking classes in the evenings part-time.
I believe that my employment and education background will equip perform well in my role to assist and support JFS to carry on the very important work that it is doing in assisting the migrants with help and support that they seek. I am fluent in French, Haitian Creole and English. When I am not working, I enjoy painting, reading, writing, doing arts and crafts, and spending time outdoors.