Hotel project brings jobs, education to New Hampshire refugees
For folks in Concord, New Hampshire, population 42,225, the announcement last year of a third hotel going up in town was big news. What they may not recognize beyond a glimmer of a recovering economy, is how great a boon the Marriott Residence Inn, which opened in July, is to local refugees.
The hotel was financed in part by tax credits provided through a community-development corporation – Maine-based Coastal Enterprises Incorporated – which stipulated that in exchange for funding, the project’s developer must make an investment in programs that benefit the community.
The developer, Steve Duprey, responded by proposing an employment program for Concord’s newcomers.
“There is a refugee population in our community that is underemployed. They all show up at our hotels anyway looking for work. Why not do this?” Duprey said.
“If these folks come here at the invitation of the United States because of their horrific status somewhere else – this is a welcoming country. We’re not going to hand things to them on a platter, but we should at least try to give them an equal opportunity.”
Duprey’s plan led him to the refugee services office of Lutheran Social Services of New England (LSSNE), an Episcopal Migration Ministries affiliate in Concord.
In the year since Dupree’s initiative got started, Amy Marchildon, director of the LSSNE New Americans program, said the effort has drawn support and involvement from businesses, local government and the resettlement agency, resulting in jobs for dozens of recently resettled refugees.
“It’s really had a lovely pace to it,” Marchildon said. “It’s just kind of neat how one small initiative has blossomed into us being able to expand our capacity and creating more opportunities for refugees.”
With the funding from the development, LSSNE was able to put together a job-training and English-language curriculum based around the hospitality industry, to help prepare refugees in need of employment to work in area hotels.
To date, more than 25 refugees have found jobs through the program, working in the Marriott and in other hotels owned by Duprey.
In addition, LSSNE has been able to use this specialized training as a selling point to other hotels in the region, providing them with capable and committed folks ready to join their staff.
An advisory committee with representatives from local businesses, social service providers and government agencies has helped guide the process, increasing collaboration and building momentum for similar vocational training programs that are already in the works.
LSSNE has altered the curriculum to prepare its clients for work in food service, and is developing a similar project built around the home health care industry. Duprey has committed funding that will help sustain the program for seven years.
Along the way, Duprey has been an active and engaged participant in the conversation.
“We’re into it. We think this is as much fun as our core business. We think it’s as important as our core business,” Duprey said. “I go to every first class. I try to remember as many names as I can. It can make your day when you go there and someone is thankful and appreciative that you gave them a chance to learn.”
Marchildon said that Dupree’s ongoing commitment to the program has been critical to its success.
“[Duprey] is very much in support of the program and has been very visible in expressing his support, so it’s been great,” she said.
When the first crop of students in the vocational training program wrapped up their eight-week course last March, LSSNE held a graduation ceremony that was attended by the mayor of Concord. A second class followed suit two months later; this time the governor showed up.
Duprey said that his new employees have brought tremendous energy to their work, approaching their jobs with a dedication that has strengthened his business.
“I would posit that having some part of your workforce come from the refugee population is nothing but a good thing,” he said.
“If you’re going to be in that position to hire somebody, wouldn’t you like to hire somebody who really appreciates the job, tells you everyday they appreciate the job, and turns that appreciation into enthusiasm for the job?”