Photo courtesy of Alexius Horatius
BARNSTABLE – As Cape Cod looks for new solutions to help with the migrant situation in the region, local organizations continue to work together in the hopes of coming to a successful conclusion.
Meetings have taken place with upwards of 23 Cape Cod organizations giving input and ideas, says Mark Skala, President and CEO of Cape and Islands United Way, on how to help the people who have come into the community.
“Some people are focused on getting them the ability to speak English, and then we need to get them a social security card. To us there are more basic things that they are lacking. They don’t have clothes, they don’t have boots, they don’t have coats, and they don’t have basic hygiene things,” Skala said.
One of the most recent ways the United Way has contributed to the situation was the recent grant they awarded to A Baby Center in Hyannis, said Skala, which provides support for babies from zero to four years old.
Skala said the United Way is trying to help any way they can while also understanding the difficulties residents have been facing with the rising inflation costs making the cost of living prices much higher.
“You’re trying to meet the needs of your current residents, and then you have it further exacerbated by what amounts to about 300 people coming to Cape Cod from a bus, and they don’t know where they’re going and they don’t speak the language,” said Skala.
Though the migrant families on Cape are putting a strain on local resources, Skala said that they are eager to get to work, and eager to work on changing the trajectory of their lives.
The next step, Skala said, is to get to work on the front of allowing migrants to obtain work opportunities.
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