June 30 Panel: Local Immigrants and the Consequences of COVID-19

SARATOGA SPRINGS — The experiences of low-income local immigrants during the COVID-19 pandemic will be explored in a live stream panel discussion at 8 p.m. on Tuesday, June 30. 

Panelists include Alberto Matos, Assistant Chaplain with the New York Race Track Chaplaincy at Saratoga Racecourse, and Joan Odess, Immigrant Services Manager for Saratoga County Economic Opportunity Council (EOC). The moderator will be Terry Diggory, co-coordinator of the Saratoga Immigration Coalition, the event sponsor. The event is hosted by Caffe Lena as part of their community outreach effort. 

“The goal of the program is to inform the broader community about a particular group of community members who have been specially affected by the COVID-19 pandemic,” Diggory said in a statement. Some are “essential workers” who face greater risk of exposure to the virus. Some have lost jobs in businesses (such as restaurants and hotels) that have been closed under pandemic restrictions. As immigrants, some do not qualify for government assistance programs that have been created in response to the pandemic. 

As service providers working directly with local immigrants, Matos and Odess have first-hand knowledge about these situations and the range of assistance that is available. The Saratoga Immigration Coalition is providing direct assistance through an emergency fund supported by donations to a GoFundMe campaign.

Community members are invited to send questions to the panel in advance by email: saratogaimmigration@gmail.com. During the program, questions can also be submitted in a live “chat” feature. 

Viewers may access the program through the events calendar on the Caffe Lena website (caffelena.org) or directly through the Caffe Lena YouTube channel. Access is free although donations are invited. Half of the proceeds will support the work of Caffe Lena and half will go to the Saratoga Immigration Coalition emergency fund in support of local immigrants.