WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT
The New American Workers: How Senior Living Aids Immigrants in Their Journey
By Gina Veazey
derstand it. Why wasn’t Mommy allowed to come with her? It was a tense moment after a long flight.
M
Carranceja worried about her child, a U.S. citizen, in the immigration line – alone. But those were the rules. They would have to split up. “I said, ‘You know what, sweetie? Go to
that window and Mommy will go to that other window, and at the end of the line, we will meet each other again,’” Carranceja recalls with a stiff upper lip and a nod. Becoming a U.S. citizen became a high
priority for Carranceja that day. She already had a green card through her husband, a U.S. citizen. And, she had met other re- quirements to apply for naturalization. But the dream of becoming an American citizen herself remained a dream unfulfilled. That’s because the cost kept naturalization out of reach, as it does for many immigrants. At $725, the fee to apply for naturalization
leads as many as 91% of the estimated 9.2 million immigrants eligible for naturalization to abandon their dreams of becoming an American citizen, according to research by One Percent for America (OPA).
Support for Citizenship When residents at Goodwin House Bailey’s Crossroads discovered how many of the workers caring for them were eligible and eager to become an American citizen – but the fee presented a barrier – they sprang into action. Residents worked with the Goodwin Living leadership team to quickly hammer out a framework for the program, then they began to share their plans with other residents and team members at all
aribel Carranceja wasn’t pre- pared for the tears. But her 7-year-old daughter couldn’t un-
three Goodwin House campuses in and around Alexandria, Va. In just two weeks, the residents had collected $40,000. That was 2018. Five years later, an endur-
ing partnership between Goodwin Living, its charitable Goodwin Living Foundation, residents, and team members continues to support workers pursuing naturalization. Resident volunteers and team members
tutor workers, preparing them to pass the civics and English language tests at the in-person naturalization interview. And, importantly, the Foundation removes the financial barrier to naturalization by pro- viding a grant that covers the application fee. The program is structured as part of the company’s employee benefits, which assures program administration and promotion is streamlined.
A Dream Realized Since 2018, the citizenship program, which is available to employees after six months of service, has helped 130 team members and 12 family members to pursue citizenship. Although there is no requirement for team members to stay with Goodwin Living after accepting a grant, most do. Retention for this group is one year beyond the organiza- tion’s average tenure of six years. Carranceja is one of those success stories.
She landed a job with Goodwin Living in 2016, rising quickly to a full-time supervi- sory position in dining services. Inspired by a colleague who had become a U.S. citizen through the Goodwin Living program, Carranceja applied and was approved for a grant in 2019. She wasted no time submit- ting her naturalization application.
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