Given that Boston's new status as a "majority minority"
city is largely due to immigrant growth, the Coalition must double its efforts to reach out effectively
to new immigrants. The EITC Campaign's Ambassador Program was created in 2005 to address the significant
number of eligible immigrants who were not utilizing the full potential of the EITC. Eight
community leaders act as "Ambassadors" for the EITC Campaign by doing outreach to
Boston's new immigrant communities. Each Ambassador is fluent in English and one of seven languages:
Hatian Creole, Portuguese, Somali, Spanish, Vietnamese, Chinese, and Cape Verdian Creole.
Ambassadors receive training in basic and wage tax law, tax preparation, and community organizing.
Ambassadors are involved at all levels of the EITC Campaign: they build new partnerships with immigrant
leaders and organizations; they inform taxpayers about the EITC and free tax preparation at sites,
ESOL classes, places of worship and community events; they recruit bilingual volunteers; and they provide
site support at our tax sites. Perhaps most importantly, Ambassadors are mobilizing a base of tax
and immigrant advocates, thereby helping Boston build a stronger immigrant coalition. For more information regarding the program, or to get involved, contact
Faisal Farhat, Ambassador Program Coordinator, at
faisal.farhat.jcs@cityofboston.gov, or call
617.918.5324. |
