MARLBOROUGH, Mass. - For the first time in nearly a decade, Thrive Support and Advocacy, is fully staffed and able to provide more services to their clients.

It comes as the organization hired 38 work-authorized individuals from emergency assistance shelters.

The nonprofit helps youth and adults with developmental disabilities.

Thrive said most of the migrants are from Haiti and a few are from Afghanistan.

And while most don't speak English, they're ready to help and work wherever they can.

Wednesday, Labor and Workforce Development Secretary Lauren Jones toured Thrive and met with staff members.

She said the organization is an example of what companies across the state can be doing.

"We need that kind of partnership because we're trying to create more opportunities for individuals newly arrived here who want to work here,” said Jones. “Work-authorized individuals gaining the skills and contributing right into our local economies."

"We’ve been contacted by a lot of other human service providers asking basically, how did you do it” said Thrive COO Stacey Forrest. “I think it's hard for people to think about how can they creatively overcome the language barrier, that's the biggest concern. So we share the ways that we've done that and it's a combination of professional interpreters, in the moment what I call trusted messengers, people that they know and trust who are bilingual."

The secretary said nearly 3,000 migrants have gained work authorization and more than 1,000 have already been placed into jobs.

At Thrive, they're working in positions like personal care, medical assistance and recreation.