Client privacy/confidentiality: Recommendations for food pantries/community feeding programs serving immigrant clients

Recent news reports have highlighted a growing fear among immigrants seeking necessary services, such as food assistance, health care, and police protection. Some of these fears are based on immigrants concerned their personal information will be shared with immigration officials.

MLRI is providing some basic guidance to help Massachusetts food pantries and community feeding programs understand state privacy and confidentiality laws. It is important to ensure all persons seeking your services - both U.S. citizens and immigrants - receive the fullest protection required under the law. 

• Attached please find MLRI's legal memo. Please confer with your organizations legal counsel should you have any questions or concerns.  
• Follow these links to DTA's "What Non-citizens Need to Know" brochure, the more detailed information on benefits and services available to non-citizen households. 
• Attached are sample DPH fliers on confidentiality for WIC, and "public charge" issues, as well as a DTA Non-Citizen Resource Brochure (last updated 2014).
• Check also the Mass Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy Coalition (MIRA) for additional resources: http://miracoalition.org/resources and http://miracoalition.org/legal-services

Please give us feedback on these materials and ways we can help you help your clients.