Norwalk panel points residents to legal help, school supports, Fair Rent office and hate-incident reporting

Community organizations, city departments and school leaders used a public meeting at Norwalk City Hall to list services for immigrant residents, describe planned trainings and explain how people can report scams or hostile incidents.

Elena Perez, executive director of Building 1 Community (B1C), said B1C offers English language instruction, citizenship preparation, job readiness and legal case management and serves about 5,000 people in Fairfield County annually. She said B1C sits on a statewide steering committee representing roughly 60 organizations and that education and “knowing your rights” are central to helping families prepare.

Michael Donahue of Catholic Charities of Fairfield County urged residents to consult accredited immigration representatives and recognized Maria Palacios, assistant director of Catholic Charities’ Norwalk immigration legal practice, as a local point of contact. Donahue said the Norwalk immigration legal office is located at 120 East Ave and offered services to help residents avoid fraudulent notario schemes.

School officials described supports for students. Dr. Alexandra Estrella, superintendent of Norwalk Public Schools, said the district partners with community health centers to offer free health services, is opening a family health center in the coming weeks, and deploys school counselors, social workers and bilingual clinicians to address social-emotional needs. A Mid Fairfield clinician said clinicians are available at no cost to students and families and that referrals can be made through principals and teachers.

Lamond Daniels, chief of community services, presented the Community Resource Hub at City Hall and encouraged residents to visit Room 202 for confidential referrals. He also described multilingual staff who help navigate services and pointed attendees to a City-run Fair Rent office where tenants can file confidential complaints about landlords.

Attendees requested training for community organizations and school personnel; panelists said trainings will be arranged and that state and local partners are working on data-security protections for immigrant records and on guidance for driver-only licenses and other documentation issues. The meeting also addressed a recent local incident: offensive flyers found in neighborhoods prompted a Norwalk Police hate-incident investigation coordinated with state police, the ADL and the FBI, with detectives canvassing and reviewing camera footage.

Organizers closed by reminding residents about resource tables in the lobby, upcoming trainings and community outreach models that previously increased uptake of services during COVID-19. NorwalkX CEO Jennifer Perahona encouraged attendees to share resources and support trusted community messengers to reach families in need.