DATE: October 13, 2009 4:31:44 PM PDT
WWU Student Volunteers Plan Bellingham's First Citizenship Day
Contact: Niall Ó Murchú, (360) 650-2144 or niall.omurchu@wwu.edu
BELLINGHAM – Students at WWU’s Fairhaven College of Interdisciplinary Studies will play an integral role at Bellingham’s first Citizenship Day event, which offers free assistance Oct. 24 at Bellingham Technical College to people applying for U.S. citizenship.
The student volunteers at Citizenship Day will assist eligible, lawful permanent residents prepare and complete U.S. citizenship applications. The students were trained by immigration attorney Scott Railton of the Bellingham office of Chang & Boos in order to evaluate clients for eligibility for naturalization and to help them complete important paperwork. Students may also serve as translators for the immigration attorneys.
Fairhaven students Gaudelia Hurtado and Alex Rolnick are helping to coordinate the event by publicizing Citizenship Day in classes, stores, community organizations and churches in Bellingham and Whatcom County. They volunteered as paralegals at previous Citizenship Day events in Mount Vernon.
“It’s really important that people are informed about this opportunity, because the legal help is available at no cost,” Hurtado said. “The only fee is for the application itself.”
Sponsored by the Washington New Americans Program, Citizenship Day will take place at Bellingham Technical College, Building E, Rooms E1 and E3, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Similar events will be held that day in Centralia, Pasco and Port Angeles.
For more information about Citizenship Day, go to www.wanewamericans.org.
printer friendly
