LYNN — A Lynn social services organization is hoping to fill its hiring needs, while providing an opportunity for bilingual citizens from Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands devastated by recent hurricanes.
Family & Children’s Service of Greater Lynn, on North Common Street, is looking for bilingual professionals and has decided to reach out to U.S. citizens living in the Caribbean islands, specifically Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, who may want to leave.
“It was our way of thinking there was a need and we have positions and opportunities available,” said Ruben Montano, associate director for Family & Children’s Service.
“Many Puerto Ricans were looking for opportunities outside of the island and many folks from other islands in the Caribbean, especially the U.S. Virgin Islands were looking for opportunities because of how decimated the islands were following the hurricanes. So, the initiative was born out of that concern.”
Gina Maniscalco, director of institutional advancement for the organization, said Family & Children’s Service is going to tell the friends and family of potential applicants by advertising the position locally.
Montano said the focus is on helping local families, who can inform their friends and family who were affected by Hurricanes Irma and Maria about the jobs.
Montano and Maniscalco said hiring bilingual staff is nothing new for the organization, which they say has an established history of working in Lynn and working with the underserved and overly challenged populations.
Montano said the city’s demographics have changed over the years. About 80 percent of the families the organization serves is Latino, and about half of those are from the islands, Maniscalco said.
“Finding qualified folks that have the bilingual and cultural experience that we’d like them to have has proven to be challenging,” Montano said. “We’re looking to ensure that we have a staffing pattern that corresponds to the population served.”
Montano, who is originally from Puerto Rico, said a lot of people have already left the islands following the hurricanes — many of them have left without job opportunities or leads, so the organization is trying to help, while recruiting capable people who can meet the need they’re trying to fill.
“Looking to hire bilingual staff is what we’ve needed to do over the years so in that aspect, it’s nothing new,” Montano said. “Where it is different is the notion of supporting some of the relatives of folks that are here in Lynn that may be looking to move here that need the opportunity.”