• Addressing Community Health Needs: BPSOS deployed a team of health specialists, including Duong Hoang, BPSOS’s mental health staff, and Dr. Nguyen Y Duc, BPSOS’s consultant and long-time contributor to Mach Song Monthly, to the Gulf Coast. Both served at the Resources and Claims Fair in Biloxi, Mississippi this past week to conduct and facilitate a focus group for Vietnamese fishermen and their families who have difficulties in dealing with the oil spill. Dr. Nguyen Y Duc also provided training to local mental health agencies. Altogether, more than 20 local community mental health providers in Biloxi and greater area received valuable information as well as resources that will help them to better serve the affected populations.

• Advocating For Job Training And Career Transition Programs: BPSOS staff in Bayou La Batre and Biloxi recently met with the Assistant Secretaries from the Department of Labor (Employment Training Administration, Wage and Hour Division, Office of Federal Contract Compliance, OSHA and Agricultural) on Thursday to discuss various issues, such as unemployment insurance benefits, safety and training concerns, workers’ rights, transparency in BP hiring process, federal comprehensive strategy and long term solutions for those that could not return to fishing again (job training, job placement and ESL programs for LEP population as they are forced to transition to another profession.) In addition, Under-Secretary Kevin Cancannon of the Department of Agriculture visited BPSOS-Bayou La Batre office and observed the food drive, where BPSOS partnered with the Bay Area Food Bank to distribute another 12,000 lbs of food to 265 families this week.

• Strengthening the Vessels of Opportunity (VOO) Program: Addressing complaints that recreational boats and people with multiple vessels are being hired to work while owners of single commercial vessel are being left out and excluded from the fleet, BPSOS staff, Grace Scire and Danny Le, had a meeting with BLB Mayor Stanley Wright, BP officials and other organizations that provide services to fishermen in South Mobile County to discuss the Vessels of Opportunity Program. We requested that BP implement a fair and equitable system, including first hiring people who have been directly affected by the oil spill before others who are indirectly affected. For those who have not been enrolled in the VOO program, applications are now available at BPSOS-BLB office. For those who have not applied or have not been activated, please contact BPSOS- BLB for more information.

• Providing Direct Assistance: BPSOS Biloxi and BLB continue to assist community residents on various services ranging from food stamp applications, unemployment benefits, BP claims, Vessels of Opportunity, immigrations, general translation and interpretation, Medicaid, Social Security Incomes and healthcare. Our BPSOS-NAVASA joint staff recently participated in the “Oil Spill Resources and Claims Fair” at the Mississippi Coast Coliseum, Biloxi on July 8, 2010 from 12pm to 8pm. Over 30 agency booths, including BP, state and federal agencies, and community organizations, participated.

• Oil Spill Cleanup Training for Vietnamese Fishermen: BPSOS has been working with OSHA officials to push for Oil Spill training in Vietnamese language for Vietnamese fishermen in the region. We advocate for the followings: (1) language access should be available for those who have limited English proficiency; and (2) Vietnamese-speaking OSHA-certified trainers are more effective in conducting training sessions than general translators because the trainers are professionally trained to ensure that accurate information and terminologies are used in training.

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Founded in 1980, BPSOS is a national community organization operating at 18 locations across the United States. BPSOS empowers individuals, strengthens families, and builds communities through Direct Services, Advocacy, Media, Community Development and Organizing, and Research. For more information, please see www.bpsos.org.

Press Contact: Shandon Phan | 703-647-6462 | This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

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