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Refugee Federation Service Center 

Description

Refugee Federation Service Center (RFSC) provides comprehensive services to refugees and immigrants to successfully adjust to their new life in this community. The primary populations would include but not limited to families from Southeast Asia (Vietnamese, Lao, Cambodian, Burma), Eastern Europe and Russia and East Africa (Somali, Ethiopian, Eritrea).  The services are provided include employment, training, social services, Citizenship and housing.

Mission Statement
To assist refugees and immigrants in their transition to life in the United States by helping them to become self-sufficient productive members of society while maintaining their cultural and ethnic identity; to serve as a resource for local companies and agencies to foster a greater understanding of the refugee communities within King County, and to strengthen and empower the ethnic refugee communities in order to meet the needs of their respective members.
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Refugee Federation Service Center
7101 Martin Luther King Jr Way S Ste 214 
Seattle 
WA
98118-3592 
(206) 501-4102 

Ngy Hul 
Executive Director 

Programs

Refugee Federation Service Center Programs

Employment Services
Provide a comprehensive family self-sufficiency assessment, individiaul employment plan, Cultural Awareness Workshop, job readiness training and counseling, short term skills training (electronic assembly, sewing, custodial and forklift, basic computer literacy) and job placement and job retention.

Social Services
Provide family assessment and case management, and social supportive services such as advocacy, housing, interpretation, conflict resolution, and referral.

Refugee Community Homelessness Prevention
Provide assessment, counseling, and financial literacy training. Assist with emergency rental services to families that are in the process of being evicted.

Recent Successes and Current Challenges

During 2012, one of our successes was our short-term Electronic Assembly class.  Following the class, many of our participants are being hired and making $10-12 an hour.  The Department of Social and Health Services in interested in helping RFSC expand the class and potentially offer more trainings to the Limited English Speaking population in Seattle-King County, but does not have the funding to do so. 

Additionally, the State has not funded Citizenship/Naturalization services for refugees and immigrants for the last several years, but there is a need in the community for these services. 

Evaluation


The Refugee Federation Service Center (RFSC) provides an array of critical services for refugee and immigrants from numerous regions around the world, including Southeast Asia, Eastern Europe and East Africa. It has offices in Kent, White Center, Tukwila and the Rainier Valley and assists individuals and families to successfully transition to life in the United States through a variety of employment, education and social services programs.

Accessibility and Cultural Competency
RFSC is a grassroots agency with most of its staff (including management) from the same communities as those they serve. In addition to speaking the same language, staff members are able to create trusting relationships with clients which result in better services and outcomes.

Leadership
It implemented and manages the Refugee Advocacy Action Committee (RAAC), a group of service providers including smaller Mutual Assistance Associations (MAAs) working to advocate on behalf of the refugee and immigrant community in Seattle-King County. It also helps individuals advocate on behalf of themselves with key policymakers for the services they need in order to be successful, productive members of the community.

Collaboration
RFSC selects partners that provide services it doesn’t offer so it can meet all the needs of its clients – partner organizations include Refugee Women’s Alliance (ReWA), Lao Community Service Organization, East African Community Development Coalition, Goodwill Industries, among others.

Grant History with The Seattle Foundation:

Grants Awarded through The Seattle Foundation Grantmaking Program:

DateAmountPurpose
3/10/2013 $10,000.00support general operating expenses.
6/10/2011 $20,000.00support general operating expenses.
12/14/2006 $42,500.00purchase a new phone system.
12/18/2003 $16,000.00purchase computer equipment, software, office furniture, and microscopes.

Financials

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