FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 18, 2024
The House of the Seven Gables Opens Immigration & Education Center
Salem, MA (November 18, 2024) – The House of the Seven Gables Settlement Association will hold a grand opening and ribbon-cutting for its new Immigration and Education Center on Tuesday, November 26 at 3:30 p.m. This new space, located in Shetland Park Building 1, Suite 109, 27 Congress Street in Salem, will serve as a home for The Gables’ Settlement Program. The program has been providing services for immigrant communities on the North Shore since 1910.
The new Immigration and Education Center will provide classrooms and meeting space for The Gables’ English and Citizenship Preparation classes, making it easier for participants to find and take advantage of these programs. Previously, classes were held in space donated by the Peabody Essex Museum and North Shore Community Development Coalition. Settlement Program Manager Ellen Berry said that the new space provides stability for the program. ”Having dedicated space allows us to focus on our services,” Berry said. “It also will allow us to answer other needs of the community, such as financial and computer literacy programming.”
The Gables is best known as a museum and historic site, but founder Caroline Emmerton was equally concerned with helping new immigrants to America in the early 20th century. Museum admissions funded the organization’s Settlement House work, which at that time emphasized job training and children’s programming, in addition to English language classes. As the times changed, programming shifted to offer services more relevant to new immigrant communities. Today, The Gables offers free English and Citizenship classes afternoons and evenings throughout the year. More than 500 students, from 25 different countries, have taken part in these classes in 2024 alone. The Gables also offers cultural events and programs that educate the public about the cultural diversity of Salem and platform issues of importance to local immigrant communities.
The opening of The Gables’ new Settlement space is possible due to a 10-year grant from The Cummings Foundation. The grant will also allow The Gables to expand its work in the near future, hiring accredited staff to assist students with paperwork and representation throughout their immigration and naturalization journey. Executive Director Dakota Russell said that the new space and services honor the life and vision of Patricia Fae Ho, Past President of The Gables, who passed away in September. “Patricia often spoke to me about the need in Salem for a resource center for immigrant communities, where local people could get both education and assistance in navigating the complex process of immigration and naturalization,” Russell said. “By opening this space, we are taking the first steps in that direction. I am sad she cannot be here for this occasion, but I am proud to dedicate this space in her memory.”
To learn more about the House of the Seven Gables Settlement program and immigrant services, please contact Julia Wacker at jwacker@7gables.org, or visit 7gables.org/settlement-classes. The House of the Seven Gables is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization located at 115 Derby Street, Salem, MA. The Gables Immigration and Education program is headquartered at 105 Congress, Suite 1109.