A simple plate of food — intended to be a comforting taste of home for Haitian migrants in a Massachusetts shelter — led to something much more for one man seeking a better life in the Bay State.
Paul Richelle, a 41-year-old originally from Haiti, came to the United States by way of Chile, and a long journey though South and Central America. He arrived in Massachusetts in July of 2023. One year later, he has a steady job, and even a car of his own, and is well on his way to an independent future here.
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"That’s what I was looking for, to get a better life and have a job," he told NBC10 Boston through a translator, who is his case manager that is working to help find him permanent housing.
Richelle was in a shelter run by Children's Services of Roxbury, when he came into contact with the founder of Gourmet Kreyol — a Haitian food truck and catering business that's mission is to increase the culture's representation in Boston.
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CSR partnered with Gourmet Kreyol to bring people staying in the shelter culturally appropriate meals as a means to increase comfort. Richelle saw opportunity.
"When he talked to Nathalie [Lecorps], the head of Gourmet Kreyol about work, and she told him when he got his work permit, he can call her," his translator explained. "And when he got his work permit, he called her and he got the job."
Richelle started out prepping food in the kitchen, and now he works as a driver for the company.
Lecorps said that Richelle is one of about a dozen of migrant people that her company has hired.
"We also are recruiting on a regular basis," she said. "We are sponsoring the migrants to get their green card. And we're working with the nonprofit organization to make sure that they have a strong foothold here in the States."
The non-profit CSR has been stepping up to help amid the influx of immigrants arriving to Massachusetts in need of resources. It's the little details, like a familiar meal, that can go a long way.
"I would say they are really happy because they see there's someone that knows their roots that is willing to help and find those those comfort foods," Marie Paul said, who works with CSR's shelter division.
Comfort through food, shelter and opportunity has been a winning recipe for people like Richelle.
"I think with Gourmet Kreyol, everything is going to be okay," Richelle said in Creole through his translator. "And I'm going to have a better life. Because before that, before working for Gourmet Kreyol I didn’t have a car. Now I have a car. And I think everything is going to be okay. And they treat me well at Gourmet Kreyol.
Helping migrants to find work has been a big focus of the Healey Administration.
According to Healey's office, her administration began tracking work authorization applications for people arriving to Family Welcome Centers and within the emergency shelter system since October of 2023.
Since then, 4,115 people have submitted work authorization applications, her office said. Of those, 3,397 have been approved.
