Centreville Immigration Forum (CIF) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization whose vision is a community that provides opportunity and acceptance for all immigrants. CIF's mission is to implements sustainable programs that provide immigrants in need with the means to improve their lives and become more integrated into the community; improve communication and cooperation among all groups serving immigrants; and build community recognition of our strength in diversity. CIF opened its primary project the Centreville Labor Resource Center (CLRC) in 2011. Since then CLRC provides employment opportunities for day laborers in a safe indoor location while providing protection from wage abuse and wage theft. CLRC is open for employers to meet with workers Monday - Saturday from 6-11am. During operation hours volunteers help hold English. skills training classes, and work leadership meetings. These programs provide workers with skills for better jobs, pay, resulting in financial sustainability for families. We are located in Centreville, VA a located in Fairfax county and a culturally diverse suburb of Washington DC. #immigration #equity #wagejustice #hirelocal #daylabor #nonprofit #Centreville #sullydistrict

The mission of Centreville Immigration Forum (CIF) is to implement sustainable programs that provide immigrants in need with the means to improve their lives and become more integrated into the community, improve communication and cooperation among all groups serving immigrants, and build community recognition of our strength in diversity. Our vision is a community that accepts and provides opportunity for all immigrants. 

About 88% of community members whom we organize and support are from Central America, with most from the Quiche Department of Guatemala, a mountainous area with a large indigenous population. Many of these individuals speak the Mayan language Ixil, meaning that English is a third language after Spanish, which is learned in school, though members may have little formal education. These indigenous families faced discrimination and prejudice in Guatemala and now struggle to find equity in the United States. Two percent of CIF members are immigrants from other regions and the remaining 10% were born in the US; most of the US-born members are African American. No matter the country of origin, very few have personal transportation, which keeps them from holding a permanent job. 

CIF began in 2007 as a series of open community dialogues on immigration and community needs related to rapid demographic changes in the local area, including a growing number of Latinx and indigenous people moving to western Fairfax County. The group’s goals were to provide opportunities for neighbors to meet and to identify services available to new immigrants and needs that were unaddressed. The most immediate need was an alternative to street-side hiring that left workers open to wage theft. With support from a local developer and elected officials, the Centreville Labor Resource Center opened in December 2011, as a program of CIF. Since we opened, more than 1,800 people have registered for work through the labor center. Additional programs have been added as community needs have been identified. In 2021, we helped place 1340 jobs. 

All our programs include members in leadership and decision-making, build community power, and support the self-sufficiency of immigrants with very low income. We undertake the work of organizing, developing strong partnerships, and advocating to create systemic change – for immigrant rights, wage justice, economic justice, financial stability and racial equity – at the same time that we identify and respond to immediate needs. 

Our work includes: 

● operating the Centreville Labor Resource Center, to provide a safe location for workers and employers to connect and establish fair terms for jobs; 

● offering ESOL classes, skills trainings, and workshops to build competencies for better employability; 

● helping members recover unpaid wages, educating the community about wage theft, and advocating for laws to promote wage justice; 

● organizing women immigrants, especially from the Latinx and Mayan communities, through our Women’s Empowerment Project, to identify and address unmet, holistic needs of women and families; 

● bringing people together to share resources, exchange information, and learn from each other to develop leadership, promote understanding, and build community;

● connecting low-income immigrants with outside resources that will help them thrive, including medical, legal, and academic support, emergency financial assistance, and food; 

● responding to emerging needs from the local community and providing support through resources, referrals and accompaniment to important appointments. 

Questions? Want to learn more about how you can get involved with CIF? 

Visit our website centrevilleimmigrationforum.org or contact us at 703-543-6272 or [email protected].  

Follow us on Facebook @CentrevilleImmigrationForum and Twitter @TheCIFva