We believe that everyone we serve comes to us with distinct strengths and determined hopes for the future. Our dynamic community-based, strength-based programs encourage and support participants as they develop new skills and strengths and chart their own paths to reach their goals. Our holistic response to community needs include:
- Drop-Out Prevention – Working with students from Chinook Middle School and Tyee High School in SeaTac, WA, our Successful Futures Program supports the academic success and well-being of refugee and immigrant youth through individual education plans, weekly workshops, and parent education. By introducing students to community resources and strengthening their support system, we hope to keep refugee and immigrant youth on a successful path toward graduation and beyond!
- Back to School Fair – Every year we work with community partners to provide support to returning students in SeaTac, WA so they are ready to learn on the very first day of school. Our one-day fair distributes more than 2,100 backpacks filled with school supplies, provides hundreds of haircuts, conducts dental exams, and much more.
- Support Groups – Our Kent and SeaTac offices host numerous traditional support groups for new immigrants and refugees so that they can develop friendships and engage in fun and meaningful activities. Our support groups include a Russian-speaking Elders group, African Sister’s Choir, Iraqi Men’s Club, Iraqi Women’s group, and Somali Basket Weaving group.
- United Way Tax Preparation – Our SeaTac site partners with United Way to offer free tax preparation for low-income families in south King County. Last year, over $1 million was returned to working families in our community.
- English-as-a-Second Language (ESL) and Early Learning – Knowing English is one of the foundations for success in a new country, our partnership with Literacy Source provides free ESL classes two times a week out of our SeaTac offices. We also provide free childcare and early learning so parents of small children can learn English, and their children can get better prepared for kindergarten.
- Resource and Referral – Through a partnership with Global to Local, we provide a fully staffed connections desk to aid community members in connecting to resources including food, housing, benefits, legal assistance, health care, and more. We also provide direct services including Health Insurance Enrollment, Orca Lift Sign-Ups, and are a distribution site for the Emergency Feeding Program and WestSide Baby for emergency needs for children 0-12yrs old.
That’s not all! Our community programming does so much more including job fairs, resume building, refugee elder support, nutrition classes, and educational workshops. We also provide free space and support for other non-profits seeking to support the community. We rely on input from community members and groups so that we meet community needs and fill important gaps. If you have ideas for how to better support the South King County or refugee and immigrant community, please contact Adriana Mendivil at amendivil@lcsnw.org.
Refugees Northwest 