9463: $4 million grant to help newly arrived Haitians, Cubans (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: leonie hermantin <lhermantin@hotmail.com>


$4 million grant to help newly arrived Haitians, Cubans

By Madeline Baró Diaz
Miami Bureau
Posted November 1 2001

MIAMI · Miami-Dade County has landed a $4 million federal grant that will be 
used for programs familiarizing newly arrived Haitian and Cuban immigrants 
with their rights and responsibilities under the American system of law 
enforcement.

Miami-Dade Mayor Alex Penelas announced plans for the Cuban and Haitian 
Refugee Crime and Victimization Initiative on Wednesday at Miami Edison 
Senior High School, which has a large Haitian student population.

The proposed program will teach new residents about the law enforcement 
system, encourage cooperation with law enforcement, teach immigrants to 
recognize and refrain from domestic violence, and help them learn about 
their protections under the law, Penelas said.

The county will launch a competitive search for eight community-based 
organizations to provide grass roots empowerment programs in communities 
that many newly-arrived immigrants call home.

The communities include Miami Shores, El Portal, North Miami, North Miami 
Beach, Hialeah, Homestead, Florida City, Perrine and Miami's Little Haiti 
and Little Havana.

Through the community organizations, the initiative will provide life skills 
training workshops for young people, as well as group sessions on issues 
like gang resistance and gun safety, Penelas said.

The community groups will also provide family support and home-based 
services for early identification of problems that could lead to crime and 
violence, he said.

Madeline Baró Diaz can be reached at mbaro@sun-sentinel.com or 305-810-5007.







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