VAAP Expands Education Programming
From: Jill Martin Diaz (they/elle) <jill@vaapvt.org>
Sent: Tuesday, November 26, 2024 9:26 AM
To: Tracy.Dolan <Tracy.Dolan@vermont.gov>
Cc: VAAP Info <info@vaapvt.org>; VAAP Staff <staff@vaapvt.org>
Subject: VAAP updates for RISPNET
Hi Tracy,
I would be so grateful if you could kindly pass the following message onto our treasured partners in the Refugee Immigrant Service Providers Network (RISPNET):
Expanded website
Absent a state-based Office of New Americans equivalent in VT to serve as an information clearinghouse, Vermont Asylum Assistance Project (VAAP) is growing the scope and content of our educational website for easier reference by immigrant communities, service providers, and legal advocates alike. We've bolstered our community- and attorney-facing virtual libraries, and launched click-through references to the different legal and social sectors supporting VT's immigrant communities. We will continue to grow and, if needed, reorganize both resources in the time to come. Any omissions or errors were made in good faith, and we always welcome corrections or opt-outs from anyone at anytime. Our request is that you please join us in encouraging folks to visit the website for the best available information at any given time, to reduce call/email volume and prevent the risk of exacerbating misinformation by circulating handouts that will quickly become stale. We have contracted with Weglot to ensure our website is available in English, Spanish, French, and Dari. Site visitors can adjust the language of any page using the translator widget at the top right corner. We aim to post a brief video tour of the website on our social media for orientation. Stay tuned!
Expanded Q&A sessions
We are also working to streamline our approach to addressing the volume of frequently asked questions we receive daily. Whenever possible, we ask folks to please hold your questions and bring them to one of our recurring conversational events for group learning advertised on our calendar:
Regular attorney and legal worker case rounds for confidential group strategizing on anonymized versions of our cases. We are likely to increase meeting frequency from monthly to biweekly to meet increasing demand.
Regular service provider legal information Q&A sessions for general legal information sharing, rather than individualized legal advice. We are likely to increase meeting frequency from monthly to biweekly to meet increasing demand.
Community-oriented legal information Q&A sessions delivered with partner providers and government representatives with interpretation available. Stay tuned for details!
Limitations
Please note that VAAP is run by a small staff of four lawyers who lack administrative, media, or IT support. I am the only licensed attorney on staff at the moment and I'm struggling to safeguard the time needed to fundraise to sustain my position into next year. As such, I'm working at lightening speed and approaching everything I do with the purest of intentions but inevitably falling short when my professional responsibilities to clients take precedent. I always welcome your kind, engaged feedback on how to improve VAAP materials and workflow. No doubt reciprocal collaboration, good humor, and grace will be essential for weathering the storm ahead!
Thanks, as always, for all you do.
In community,
Jill
Jill Martin Diaz, Esq. (they/them, elle/ellx - what's this?)
Executive Director, Vermont Asylum Assistance Project
Director of Legal Services, Connecting Cultures
P.O. Box 814, Elmwood Ave, Burlington, VT 05402
Vermont Asylum Assistance Project (www.vaapvt.org) increases VT noncitizens' awareness of and access to their immigration legal rights through direct services, pro bono coordination, public education, and advocacy. Visit our website to sign up for monthly e-news; learn about the asylum process; review our growing resource library; join us at upcoming educational events; request our legal help; and read blog posts covering evolving law, policy, and practice updates.
