'We don't turn anyone away': Irish Diaspora Center in Philadelphia on extending helping hand to those in need
By Fionnuala Boyle, The Irish Star
An Irish nonprofit organization in Philadelphia that strives to help people in need insists it "doesn't turn anyone away" - Irish or not.
The Irish Diaspora Center has been serving the needs of the Irish and Irish American communities since 1998, "acting as a voice" for the Irish on both national and international levels, all in the name of strengthening its rich heritage.
Working with the Irish Government and other Irish organizations throughout the US, the center prioritizes the most vulnerable while assisting with issues including passports, healthcare, employment, and housing.
Despite its close ties to home, the center prides itself on the fact that staff is approached by people of all races and ethnicities, and in response, they do whatever they can to help those who reach out in their hour of need.
Last year, in fact, 52 percent of people who received aid came from outside Ireland, showing that the age-old culture of Irish hospitality is not exclusive to those who only hail from the Emerald Isle.
Tom Higgins, 56, Board Director of the Irish Diaspora Center, told Irish Star: "We try to be a source of the source. If there's something we can't directly help with, or a language we can't speak, we find out where people can go.
"We have a large population of West African and Caribbean nationalities that come to us, as well as Eastern Europeans, so we cast the net wide in our efforts.
"We have a good array of characters on board too - several immigrants and a bunch of Irish Americans - so it gives us a good perspective on all sides. At the end of the day, it's all about remaining part of the community.
"We liaise between the Consul General of Ireland in New York and the Irish Government particularly when people are in trouble. The public doesn't know half of what goes on - from prison visits to booking emergency travel back to Ireland.
"A while ago, one Irishman was crossing West Chester Pike when he was hit by a bus. He was in a vegetative state and we had to arrange his flight back home to Donegal.
"It was costly but he seems to be doing a lot better now. They were ready to pull the plug on him here."
Born in Philadelphia, Tom moved to Galway at the age of eight, before returning to the City of Brotherly Love in 1987, meaning he is well-placed to understand the stresses and strains that come with crossing the Atlantic.
And so do his peers. The center is spearheaded by Emily Norton Ashinhurst, Executive Director, who spent summers in Co Kildare, Ciarán Porter, Youth Development Director, born and raised in Co Donegal and emigrated to Philly after some time working in Liverpool, and long-term volunteer and now employee, Alanna Barry McCloskey, daughter of an Irish immigrant and native of Havertown, spent many summers with her large family in Co Antrim.
The center is also based in Havertown, often nicknamed the 33rd county due to its Irish stronghold, therefore making it the perfect location to offer comfort and solace for Irish immigrants, ex-pats, and descendants alike.
"Typically, Irish people lived in West Philadelphia, then they moved to Upper Darby, which is adjacent to Havertown", explained the dad-of-four, who is also President of the Delaware Valley Irish Hall of Fame.
"It's a really tight-knit community and has a long history of housing Irish people. That's why we based the center there because it feels like home to a lot of people in that area.
"We were originally called the Irish Immigration Center, too, but immigration became kind of a dirty word politically and in the American vernacular, so we changed it to Diaspora."
Although the center's day-to-day runnings consist of practicalities including visas, citizenships, arrests, and deportations, staff also do all they can to bring awareness to Irish culture, history, literature, and art.
This takes the form of genealogy groups and social events such as Friday night card games, coffee mornings with visiting Irish politicians, senior citizen luncheons, day trips, and movie nights.
"We held two big events recently, one of which was Straight Out of Ireland which brought together Ireland's finest contemporary creative talents to the states", said Tom.
"Over 20 Irish artists and six local ones showed their wares from bodhráns to murals. One guy made artwork solely from brown paper bags.
"We also partnered with Irish artist, Tom Meskell, for a Lights in the Darkness display of more than 100 life-size lantern figures which were placed at Dilworth Park at Philadelphia's City Hall in September. It was quite a spectacle.
"The intention was to raise awareness for suicide and mental illness, and bring peace to those impacted."
Emily Norton Ashinhurst, who has been at the organization for five years, went on: "We recognized the need in Philly to raise money for mental health programming so we now have a small pool of funds available for people who are not able to get insurance to pay for counseling.
"We make the referral and pay for a portion of the first 10 weeks of counseling. The public display was a tremendous experience, too. It was a big undertaking for us but it was a creative way to support those who don't always feel heard.
"I see the impact these projects have in real-time. It's an uplifting job. Seeing the difference our work has on our clients on a daily basis is what gets me up in the morning. It's incredible."
On her own personal affiliation with the cause, Emily added: "My dad's father is from Wicklow and his mother is from Dublin, and I stayed with my cousins in Kildare every summer.
"It helped me recognize my own privilege in that I've been able to straddle the US and Ireland and now make it my work life.
"I have a deep connection to Ireland has always been passionate about the country and its people."
