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Project SHINE Hosts Health Fair for Immigrants, Refugees
Event Sponsored by MetLife
Written By Keith Henry, PR Intern
UC students helps immigrants and refugees with their transition to becoming Americans
Contact - cleogrande@utica.edu
Utica, NY (04/08/2008) - Utica College’s Student Gerontology Society and Students Helping in the Naturalization of Elders (SHINE) will host a health fair Wednesday (April 9) from 12:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. in Romano Hall on the UC campus. There is no charge for the immigrants and refugees; the event is sponsored by MetLife.Local English as a Second Language (ESL) students - this year’s group numbers 125 - will come to campus and learn about accessing medical care, dental hygiene, understanding over-the-counter medications and ways of dealing with stress, to name a few.
The Health Fair is just one way that SHINE helps smooth the transition for recent immigrants and refugees.
Each semester, students work at the Mohawk Valley Resource Center for Refugees (MVRCR) with ESL classes, acting as “coaches,” helping instructors in any way needed. “The Refugee Center offers Utica College students an amazing opportunity to gain global understanding,” said Darlene Heian, assistant professor and coordinator of the SHINE project. “Our students frequently gain as much or more from the experience than the ESL students.”
For more information about the fair, contact Heian at (315) 792-3309.