Faces of BIIN
A Tribute to Rhoda Segur
A Tribute to Rhoda Segur When Rhoda Segur passed away on August 3, 2021, BIIN — along with other organizations and people — lost a remarkable advocate and friend. We take this opportunity to recall Read more…
Immigrant Stories
Client stories: Brenda Maldonado
Client stories: Brenda Maldonado A relatively new student to the BIIN community, Brenda has worked to take advantage of the resources BIIN provides. In January 2021, she began attending BIIN’s online citizenship classes. Brenda moved Read more…
Newsletter Article
Brazos Valley Gives Campaign: Now through October 19, 2021
Brazos Valley Gives Campaign: Now through October 19, 2021 In order to provide quality services at no cost to immigrant neighbors in need, BIIN must raise funds. We work to do so in many ways: Read more…
Updates
Update on BIIN Programs for Fall 2021
BIIN is offering a full slate of programs for fall 2021. Despite the many challenges posed by the on-going coronavirus pandemic, BIIN volunteers are working hard to maintain Read more…
Newsletter Article
BIIN Achieves SECC Approval
BIIN achieves SECC approval We are thrilled to announce that as of September 1, 2021 Brazos Interfaith Immigration Network is an approved State Employee Charitable Campaign (SECC) organization. This means that if you work for Read more…
Immigrant Stories
Client Stories: Leidy Lopez
Client Stories: Leidy Lopez Originally from Colombia, Leidy Lopez moved to the Bryan/College Station area in October 2018. She moved here after her husband came to earn a doctorate at Texas A&M University. Adjusting to Read more…
Updates
COVID-19 Recursos / Resources
Haga clic aquí para obtener los recursos de COVID-19! -------- Click here to get COVID-19 resources!
Partner Spotlight
Partner Spotlight: St. Andrew’s
Partner Spotlight: St. Andrew’s BIIN has long relied on allied organizations, known as “community partners,” to support its mission in various ways: by providing space for offices or special events, funding or in-kind donations, specialized Read more…
Faces of BIIN
Summer Superstars!
Summer Superstars! It’s summer in central Texas: hot, humid, sunny one minute, rainy the next. The crepe myrtles are blooming gloriously, the mosquitoes are buzzing, and the grass keeps growing so fast it’s hard to Read more…
Faces of BIIN
Summer Superstars: The Conversational English Team
Summer Superstars: The Conversational English Team Learning a second language, as an adult, takes time, practice and a patient community of people who use the language and support you in your efforts to develop your Read more…
Faces of BIIN
Faces of BIIN: Vivian Bronsoler
Faces of BIIN: Vivian Bronsoler As a major university, Texas A&M brings many people and resources to the Brazos Valley. But there is also a flip side: the patterns of connection and movement that universities Read more…
Updates
BIIN on the move!
BIIN on the move! In response to a request from Grace Bible Church, BIIN has moved from its original office to a new location on the church campus. Since the church will be using the Read more…
Updates
Allies Spring into Action
Allies Spring into Action Many people are familiar with BIIN’s long-standing citizenship and Conversational English classes and the Information/Referral/Assistance (IRA) program. But there’s another program, known as “Allies in Action,” that has been added to Read more…
Partner Spotlight
CMSA and ComUnidad 2021
CMSA and ComUnidad 2021 BIIN benefits in countless ways from operating in a community that Texas A&M University also calls home. From the wide and diverse realm of TAMU-related people, BIIN regularly recruits much of Read more…
Newsletter Article
Behind the Scenes at Citizenship Classes
Behind the Scenes at Citizenship Classes BIIN has been offering citizenship classes in one form or another for years: the program is designed to help prospective applicants understand the process of applying for US citizenship Read more…
Immigrant Stories
Immigrant Stories: Melissa Dávila
Immigrant Stories: Melissa Dávila Adults who study English as a second language, at BIIN and elsewhere, do so for many different reasons. Some are preparing for the naturalization exam. Some want to speak better English to improve Read more…
Updates
Citizenship Classes Continue Strong
Citizenship Classes Continue Strong If you follow the news, you likely know that one of the measures taken by the Trump administration during its final weeks in power was to decree changes to the civics Read more…
Newsletter Article
Recommended Reading
Recommended Reading BIIN’s mission is to promote the dignity and well-being of all immigrants in our community, and to advocate for and facilitate better access to legal, educational and social services. While our organization acts Read more…
Faces of BIIN
Volunteer Spotlight: Darci Kole, Website Specialist
Volunteer Spotlight: Darci Kole, Website Specialist Darci Kole has much in common with other BIIN volunteers. She identifies with BIIN’s mission “to promote the dignity and well-being of immigrants” as vital parts of our communities. Read more…
Updates
Update on BIIN CARES Fund
Update on BIIN CARES Fund In early February 2021, we announced the Board’s decision to extend the BIIN CARES Fund, in order to provide financial assistance to immigrant-led households still reeling from the effects of Read more…
Information and Referral
Vaccination Education and Registration Campaign
Vaccination Education and Registration Campaign The push to vaccinate people against the coronavirus has brought energy and hope to communities across the country and around the world. In the United States, who can get vaccinated, Read more…
Faces of BIIN
Start the new year right: volunteer with BIIN!
Have you been thinking about the new year and the experiences you want to have in 2021? Are you looking for safe ways to connect with and help others, as the pandemic continues? Here’s a Read more…
Faces of BIIN
Volunteer spotlight: Zoë Schneider
If you have participated in BIIN’s English conversation classes at any time over the past few years, you’ve probably met Zoë Schneider. A Texas A&M senior graduating in May 2021, Zoë has been a key Read more…
Immigrant Stories
Immigrant Stories: Yesenia Aguilar
Yesenia Aguilar is a U.S. citizen, for she was born and began her life in Beaumont, Texas. But when she was still a baby, her parents separated, and her mother took Yesenia back to Mexico, Read more…
Previous Events
Fall Fundraising Update: Strategic Philanthropy Community Grant and Giving Tuesday
Like non-profit organizations across the country, 2020 has been a challenging year for BIIN when it comes to fundraising. The pandemic has made it unwise to pursue plans for in-person fundraising events, such as the Read more…
Newsletter Article
Holiday Giving at BIIN
This year, give your friends and family gifts of kindness that help local immigrants. Your gift receipt will receive a specially designed e-greeting card of your choice and the joy of knowing that, because of them, immigrants will have access to...
Newsletter Article
Recommended Reading
As 2020 draws to a close and the U.S. anticipates new leadership from the White House, many people have been wondering what this may mean for immigration law, policy and regulations. For those interested in learning Read more…
Newsletter Article
Celebrate BIIN: Contribute today to ensure our shared future!
For a decade now, BIIN has served the Brazos Valley: promoting the human dignity and well-being of all immigrants in our community, by offering classes and programs that meet a variety of needs, advocating for Read more…
Updates
IRA Program Continues to Innovate
Ten years ago, when BIIN was formed and began as an organization to offer services to immigrants in the Brazos Valley, its “charter” program was IRA: Information, Referral and Assistance. For years, IRA’s trained volunteers have hosted Read more…
Newsletter Article
Aliados en Acción: A New Program for Parents of School-Aged Children
The coronavirus pandemic has changed and complicated many things we once took for granted. For parents, helping children succeed in school is one of many daily tasks that the public health crisis has transformed. Whether children attend Read more…
Faces of BIIN
Thank you to all our volunteers!
What would BIIN be without its volunteers? An empty shell, a driverless car, a promise waiting to be fulfilled. All of BIIN’s programs and services are planned and run by volunteers – people who share Read more…
Immigrant Stories
Immigrant Stories: Angela Suarez
Immigrating to the U.S. is a long, hard process, requiring years of effort, patience and persistence. Angela Suarez knows, for she and her family have been taking the steps required to immigrate and become citizens Read more…
Faces of BIIN
Thanks to three outgoing board members!
In people’s lives, birthdays and anniversaries mark the passage of time. In the life of an organization, taking stock of what has been and thinking about what is to come often happen at the annual Read more…
Updates
Thanks to Mary Campbell, Outgoing Board President
It was January 2013. Mary Campbell was looking for a good way to help her A&M undergrads understand the relevance of readings and lectures about race and ethnicity in American society. As an associate professor Read more…
Immigrant Stories
Immigrant stories: Jesús Alberto Pérez Delgado
Jesús Alberto Pérez Delgado had a rich and interesting life in Venezuela. He had a good education and a rewarding career as a manager, administrator and executive, specializing in financial management and human resources. For some thirty years, he worked for firms in various industries, including...
Newsletter Article
Recommended Reading
The news media continue to provide much food for thought, regarding: evidence of disparities in the ways that the coronavirus pandemic has impacted different segments of the population, debates over the nature of any future Read more…
Updates
Updates on Línea Amiga
Calls have been coming in to Línea Amiga, the local Spanish-language helpline that was created to provide a way for people to ask questions and get information related to the COVID-19 pandemic. It was launched Read more…
Updates
Update on Programs
How does a non-profit “pivot” in a pandemic? For BIIN, this has meant keeping our focus on the needs of immigrants in our community, while practicing social distancing, to ensure that we do not contribute Read more…
Updates
Virtual Sip and Learn
BIIN is hosting a virtual Sip and Learn event via Zoom on Saturday, June 27, at 3 pm. We will have a lively discussion and a chance to hear not only about the families that received Read more…
Updates
Línea Amiga
A new Spanish-language helpline, Línea Amiga, has just been launched to provide information for people impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Staffed by trained volunteers, and supported jointly by BIIN, Friends Congregational Church, and the First Read more…
Faces of BIIN
Meet a BIIN Intern: Darcey Rydl
College Station, Texas has been home for Darcey Rydl for all of her life. As a native of the region attending Texas A&M University, it would have been easy for her to stay in her Read more…
Immigrant Stories
Immigrant Stories: Rosa Lopez
Rosa Lopez grew up in Durango, Mexico and has many happy memories of life there. But her life took an unexpected turn when her husband moved to central Texas, joining members of an extended family Read more…
Updates
BIIN CARES Update
Dear friends, Wow! ¡Carramba! Ouf! We did it! Thanks to your generosity, we have reached our goal in the BIIN CARES campaign: raising $50,000 to support our neighbors impacted by COVID-19 and the economic downturn. In particular, Read more…
Immigrant Stories
From Worker to Citizen: the Story of Teresa Gonzalez
Article written by Yvonne Reyes (KYR Intern) Mrs. Teresa Gonzalez is originally from Pachuca Hidalgo, Mexico. She arrived in the United States in 1998, looking for a way to support herself. She first lived in El Paso, Texas, working for Read more…
Information and Referral
BIIN Helps with Wage Recovery
Article written by Ana Balderas (IRA Intern) Recently, a man who works in construction came to BIIN, to ask for help recovering wages for a job he had done. To make it easier to tell Read more…
Faces of BIIN
Volunteer Spotlight: Carlos Espina
Carlos Espina is a familiar face to many who have been involved with BIIN. Since 2016, Carlos has found ways to share his time and talents with the organization and the community. Born in Uruguay but Read more…
Updates
Program Updates Amid COVID-19 Concerns
CHANGES TO BIIN’S PROGRAMS IN RESPONSE TO THE CORONAVIRUS For the health and safety of our clients, volunteers, and the larger community, BIIN is moving all in-person classes online. Answers to questions and case management Read more…
Newsletter Article
What happens at IRA?
Information, Referral, and Assistance (IRA) is one of BIIN’s long-standing programs. But if you’ve never been to IRA, you may wonder what exactly happens there. Every Tuesday and Thursday evening, people needing help with different kinds of Read more…
Faces of BIIN
VOLUNTEER SPOTLIGHT
Jake Shatzer is a junior at Texas A&M, doing a double major in International Studies and Economics and a minor in Spanish. After studying abroad, Jake was looking for ways to get involved with the Read more…
Immigrant Stories
Immigrant Stories: Enrique Espinoza
Enrique Espinoza has lived in Texas for several years, but he can still remember how confusing it was when he first arrived from Mexico. Even a simple task such as buying a cold drink stirred Read more…
BIIN In the News
KAGS Article: DACA
Take a look at this article by KAGS that we were featured in about our DACA workshop! Provides helpful information on DACA.
Updates
BIIN’s Programs and Workshop Updates
DACA Workshop As you probably know The Supreme Court heard oral arguments challenging The Administration’s decision to end the DACA program this past November. A decision is expected no later than June 2020. Anyone with Read more…
Immigrant Stories
New Video Featuring BIIN’s Citizenship Classes
Thank you Kimberly Lerma for the excellent video that showcases our citizenship classes! Thank you Carol Goldsmith, one of our amazing teachers, for explaining the program so well! Please share our new video!
Updates
February Sip and Learn
Join us on February 23, 2020 at 3 PM at the BIIN office to learn about the legal challenges of being an immigrant in Brazos Valley. Laura Leon, a local immigration attorney, will talk about real legal cases Read more…
Immigrant Stories
Immigrant Stories: Maryuri
Maryuri Nuñuz de Gonzalez is a student in our Conversational English Class this fall. She moved to the United States in 1998 from Venezuela to get her PhD at UC Davis and transferred to Texas A&M Read more…
Information and Referral
Information, Referral, and Assistance Program
BIIN’s Information, Referral, and Assistance (IRA) program is the heart of our organization but many people do not know what sort of problems our dedicated volunteers help with so we will start sharing some of Read more…
Volunteer Info
BIIN Program Updates
Please share this information with anyone you think may be interested in attending our programs or volunteering to help with them. BIIN still needs wonderful volunteers for our conversational English classes on Mondays and Wednesdays Read more…
Updates
Help BIIN while you shop!
Love shopping online with Amazon? Love supporting BIIN and immigrants in your community? Thanks to AmazonSmile, you can now do both at the same time!AmazonSmile is operated by Amazon and features all the same products Read more…
Immigrant Stories
Immigrant Story: Paula Lira
Paula Lira is a student in our Conversation English Class this fall. She is from Monterrey, Mexico, and has lived in the United States since 2004. She loves attending class so she can practice English Read more…
Faces of BIIN
Volunteer Spotlight
Norma Madrigal is an Information, Referral, and Assistance (IRA) volunteer that has been volunteering at BIIN for four years. She helps clients with any problems they have, whether it be translation needs or advice on Read more…
Updates
BIIN Programs Update
BIIN PROGRAM UPDATES: Please share this information with anyone you think may be interested in attending our programs or volunteering to help with them. English Conversation Classes are every Monday and Wednesday evening from 6:00 PM Read more…
Updates
BIIN Program Updates
Please share this information with anyone you think may be interested in attending our programs or volunteering to help with them. English Conversation Classes at BIIN will resume on September 9, 2019 on Monday and Read more…
Volunteer Info
VOLUNTEER APPRECIATION PARTY
Please join us on September 8, 2019 from 4 pm – 5 pm to celebrate you and all of our volunteers that have dedicated so many hours to make BIIN programs great. We will have Read more…
Immigrant Stories
Immigrant Story: Indiana
Meet Indiana. Indiana has been attending classes at Brazos Interfaith Immigration Network for several years with the goal of becoming a United States citizen. This summer, her hard work paid off, and Indiana gained her Read more…
Immigrant Stories
Meet Nicolas
Friends, Meet Nicolas. Nicolas is one of our hard-working students. He comes twice a week, every week, to our evening English classes. As a young child, his mother always told him to work hard and Read more…
Updates
4TH OF JULY FUNDRAISER KICKOFF
Friends, Tomorrow our annual 4th of July Fundraiser is kicking off. This year, it is our goal to raise enough money to sponsor fifty students in citizenship classes. These citizenship classes provide local immigrants with Read more…
Updates
BIIN Updates
BIIN will have a Volunteer Orientation on June 7, 2019 from 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM at the BIIN office, 107 Williamson Drive in Bryan. We are located in the gymansium behind St. Michael’s Episcopal School. Read more…
Previous Events
We Received a Grant!
Thank you Mays Business School! Students in the Strategic Philanthropy course chose BIIN to be a recipent of its Community Grant. We received $10,500 for operational support.
Faces of BIIN
Volunteer Spotlight
Mark Lacey moved to Bryan, TX from the Washington D.C. area in 2017 after retiring. His parents are missionaries and he grew up in a part of Belize that speaks Spanish where he mastered his Read more…
Immigrant Stories
Video Interview: Maria and Alfonso
A couple that went through our classes and became citizens share their story!
Immigrant Stories
Video Interview: Socorro
One of our Citizenship Class students Socorro tells us about her dreams and experiences!
Faces of BIIN
BIIN’S New Volunteer Appreciation Program
BIIN is launching a new volunteer appreciation program. Eligibility for the gifts is determined by the accumulative hours that have been logged in our online volunteer software starting January 1, 2019. So if you have Read more…
Immigrant Stories
Immigrant Story: Soccorro
Socorro Hernandez is originally from Zacatecas, Mexico and moved to the U.S. in 1995. When she heard about BIIN’s citizenship classes through a local newspaper, La Voz, she immediately signed up. She completed the 10 week Read more…
Faces of BIIN
Volunteer Spotlight
Janet Morford moved to the BCS area in 2017 from Illinois. She learned about BIIN through St. Thomas Episcopal Church and was excited to get involved and contribute to a positive and constructive organization. She Read more…
Updates
LIGHT OF LIBERTY FUNDRAISING DINNER
BIIN is hosting its second annual Light of Liberty fundraising dinner on May 15, 2019, and we need help filling 80 seats. Our goal is to raise $600 to $1,000 a year from each guest Read more…
Volunteer Training
Volunteer Orientation
BIIN is holding a volunteer orientation on March 23, 2019 at 2:30 pm at our office. We are located in the gymnasium behind St. Michael’s Episcopal School, 107 Williamson Drive, Bryan, TX. The orientation will Read more…
Immigrant Stories
Meet a BIIN Citizenship Class Student!
Maria Villanueva immigrated to the U.S. from Reynosa, Tamaulipas, Mexico because “it is the country of opportunity”. Her hope is to provide a better life for her children. Independence Day is her favorite holiday because Read more…
Newsletter Article
Citizenship Class Students Thank You Letters to Volunteers
“Thanks to all of the volunteers who helped us in the citizenship classes. Thanks for dedicating your time to motivate us. We started our citizenship application. Thank you! Thank you for your help and dedication. Read more…
Previous Events
Congratulations to New U.S. Citizens!!
Two of BIIN’s Citizenship Class teachers, Mary Campbell and Nancy Plankey-Videla, were excited to attend the swearing in ceremony of 10 former Citizenship Class graduates on December 20, 2018.
Faces of BIIN
The Faces of BIIN
Originally from Brownfield Texas, Greyson Holt is an outstanding volunteer for our Conversation Partners program. He first found out about BIIN from a friend after revealing his hope to possibly volunteer somewhere he could speak Read more…
Updates
#GivingTuesday Sponsor a Student Campaign Success!
This week on Tuesday, we held our very first #GivingTuesday campaign! Every donation made was matched 1:1 by a kind donor. Thanks to all of your support and generosity, BIIN was Read more…
Newsletter Article
Spring Citizenship Classes for 2019!
On February 2nd, 2019, we will begin the spring’s free Citizenship classes in both English and Spanish. The class takes course over 10 weeks, every Saturday. They will take place from February 2nd to April Read more…
Faces of BIIN
The Faces of BIIN
Ricardo Gonzalez is the volunteer-coordinating intern for BIIN. He is a senior Sociology major with a minor in Latino Studies and Japanese from Dallas, Texas. Ricardo has helped with the management of volunteers’ accounts and Read more…
Updates
Sponsor a Student!
Our Conversation Partners program is where aspiring citizens practice speaking English and answering interview questions. But… our students need textbooks! Please consider sponsoring a student. For $31 you can sponsor one student’s textbook and workbook Read more…
Faces of BIIN
The Faces of BIIN: Susan Dennis
This week’s featured volunteer is Susan Dennis, who volunteers with our Conversation Partners program. Originally from Lubbock, Texas, Susan and her husband have made College Station their home for the last 30 years. Thanks to Read more…
Previous Events
Annual Meeting
Thanks to all who came out to BIIN’s Volunteer Appreciation and Annual Meeting on August 19th! It was great to come together and celebrate BIIN’s work this past year. If you missed it, here are Read more…
Faces of BIIN
Partner Spotlight: Friends Congregational Church
Friends Congregational Church announced they are splitting all of the proceeds from their Annual Barbecue with BIIN. Enjoy a delicious barbecue and great company while raising money for BIIN at the same time. No tickets Read more…
BIIN In the News
What it takes to become a US citizen in the Brazos Valley
“BRYAN, Texas — Every Saturday, for three hour intervals, immigrants looking to become US Citizens gather in a re-purposed space at the Brazos Interfaith Immigration Network (BIIN). The class helps green card holders prepare for Read more…
BIIN In the News
Bryan Immigration Rally Draws 250-plus as Part of National Movement
“More than 250 adults and children in Bryan on Saturday joined hundreds of thousands of marchers who took to the streets nationwide to show opposition to President Donald Trump’s zero-tolerance immigration policy. The group gathered Read more…
Updates
Meet our new Program and Office Coordinator!
Here’s a little bit about our new Program and Office Coordinator, Jaimi Washburn: “My husband and I moved to College Station in 2016 for his job and to be closer to my parents in Lufkin, Read more…