Spotlight September 2024 

IIB would not be able to make WNY a better place for, and because of, immigrants and refugees were it not for the great people on our team and in the community.

Home Setup Volunteers Turn Dwellings into Homes  

Our awesome volunteers fuel our work and make it easier to accomplish our mission. A shout-out to the Watson family and friends (pictured above) and students from Canisius University’s Political Science program. Both groups came together to set up homes for Afghan families resettling in our community. 

If you want to help us make Western New a better place for, and because of, immigrants and refugees, take a look at the plethora of volunteer opportunities that await.

Learn more about how you can use your free time to help welcome New Americans to our community.

Community Institutions Help New Americans

The dedication and kindness of the Buffalo & Erie Country Library's Kuniko Simon have made a profound difference to our Job Club clients. Job Club teaches our New American clients how to succeed in the American workplace. It is one of the many programs we have to help immigrants and refugees on their way to a new life.   

Almost every month in the past year, Kuniko warmly welcomed them to the library, offering them insightful tours that introduce resources available at the library. They received their library cards during every tour, opening the door for them and their families to explore the library's full range of resources and services, empowering them on their journey toward personal and professional growth. Kuniko originally came to WNY as an international student from Japan, so she knows firsthand how important it is to welcome someone who is foreign-born.

International Exchanges Make a Difference in the World

Congratulations to Evelise Carvalho from Cape Verde for winning the 2024 IVLP Impact Award Project: Emerge: Creating a New Generation of Journalists. The project empowers young journalists in her country through an immersive investigative journalism training program. 

Carvalho came to the International Institute of Buffalo with the International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP) last year. IVLP connects emerging global leaders with their professional peers in the United States to focus on best practices in different subject areas. Her group studied Transparency and Accountability in Government. 

Volunteers Get the Good Word Out!

Many thanks to Claire Hackbush, who volunteered in our communications department over the summer. She did a commendable job helping with research, social media, and blogs posts. A recent graduate of Geneseo, Claire has plans for law school. Click here to read a blog post she wrote about the students who worked at IIB as part of the UB Fellowship program. 

Interpreters and Translators Change Lives 

Farsi & Dari Interpreter/Translator Ensie Mirzamostafa was born in Des Moines, Iowa, and spoke Farsi growing up at home. Her family moved back to Iran when she was a child. She went on to study Sociology and got her Ph.D., then worked as a teacher and researcher for 12 years. In 2016, she returned to the United States as a research scholar and eventually moved to Buffalo in 2021.

Ensie says she became a linguist because her goal was always to be a voice for the voiceless. She adds that as an interpreter, she aspires to work with communities in difficult or complex situations such as medical emergencies, school registration, and court proceedings to make it easier for them to communicate with their new community.

"When people immigrate to another society, especially if they have left their homeland due to war or natural disasters, they often carry traumas with them," she adds. "If they do not know the language of the host community, it is more difficult for them to adjust."

Her hobbies include wood carving, watercolor painting, reading books, and hiking.

For more information on the fantastic work our interpreters and translators do, or to become one yourself, click here.

IIB Team Members Make a Long-Term Difference 

We appreciate the hard work and dedication of someone who has become a fixture at the International Institute of Buffalo.

Twelve years ago, Jennifer Ulrich came to IIB to fill in for someone on work leave. Now, she helps manage the process between the people and organizations needing interpreting and translation work done and the scores of languages the International Institute of Buffalo provides.

She is fluent in French and can “say a little bit in a lot of other languages.” She studied French language and culture through a SUNY program at la Sorbonne in Paris.

She enjoys engaging with clients and adds that it is gratifying to see those who initially have no English ability and are only starting their journey then blossom into being more conversant in English and well on their way to a successful life in America.  

She loves gardening and true crime podcasts.

IIB is a great place to work, learn more about our career opportunities.

"The International Institute of Buffalo makes Western New York a better place for, and because of, immigrants and refugees."