World Refugee Day 2019 Refugee Family, now U.S. Citizens After Naturalization
Our NEW Mission Statement:
Refugee Connections Spokane supports and empowers
refugee and immigrant communities
by providing services, fostering community bonds,
and advocating for refugee and immigrant rights
in the Inland Northwest.
Refugee Connections Spokane supports and empowers
refugee and immigrant communities
by providing services, fostering community bonds,
and advocating for refugee and immigrant rights
in the Inland Northwest.
KXLY News Story Highlights Refugee Connections Spokane COVID-19 Response!
To view the July news story regarding Refugee Connections Spokane, go to: https://www.kxly.com/local-groups-helping-refugees-navigate-pandemic-challenges/
Spokane Journal of Business communicates Refugee Connections Spokane work.
To reach the July article, go to: https://www.spokanejournal.com/local-news/refugee-connection-spokane-pivots-services/
Inlander Article Shares: Refugees face many COVID-related obstacles and are often left wondering when they can be reunited with their families abroad
Refugee Connections Spokane Seeks Support for Service Engagement!
June 30, 2020
Dear Friend of Refugee Connections Spokane,
This summer, Refugee Connections Spokane is sharing with you how your support is making a great difference in our community. These last months we have dramatically changed how we work and provide services to refugee and immigrant communities in the Inland Northwest. We have recently updated our mission statement, are developing a strategic plan and are rapidly responding to client needs in the COVID – 19 pandemic.
As a local, grassroots organization, we were quickly able to transform our program and staff roles to address the needs of our refugee and immigrant clients and community members. We have been keeping you informed about areas of concern through our Facebook page, group, website and e-list. We cancelled our annual Spring fundraising event Refugee and Immigrant Songs: Voices of Hope in April and World Refugee Day in June out of concern for the health and safety of the communities that would normally gather for these two events.
To enhance our COVID-19 Response, we hired two new staff people, including a Refugee/Immigrant Service Coordinator and a Marshallese COVID-19 Cultural Liaison. We were granted funds through Innovia Foundation, Philanthropy Northwest, the Washington State Department of Health, and the Washington Department of Social and Health Services for our efforts. Our Cross-Cultural Navigators in our Refugee Elder Outreach Program check in weekly with our elder clients to see what their needs are – whether food, utilities, rental assistance, face masks, hygiene or cleaning supplies. We have been delivering groceries, cleaning and hygiene supplies and Patient Passports and helping with physical and mental health issues.
Through our Refugee Kids Connect program, our Program Coordinator and Program Assistant are serving 100 refugee youth families in 5 apartment complexes in Spokane by delivering food boxes from area food pantries, sharing Census 2020 Outreach and COVID-19 materials, school supplies, face masks and children’s activities. We are partnering with Share Farm to distribute fresh fruit and vegetables to our clients.
We continue doing Census 2020 Outreach, serving Arabic, Kinyarwanda, French, Swahili, Marshallese, Nepali and Russian language groups via social media, text, email and phone through October 31st. We participated in a community-wide Census Drive-Thru on June 20th in the Spokane Valley with other social service agencies.
While we continue programming through grants and a government contract, your donations are crucial to help us better serve our clients. We are seeking in kind donations of children’s books, school and art supplies, face masks and hygiene supplies – which can be delivered to our office. You can mail your contribution to our address, or via Paypal at www.refugeeconnectionsspokane.org.
Thank you for your support of refugees and immigrants in this region!
Marijke Fakasiieiki
Executive Director
Refugee Connections Spokane
35 W. Main Ave. Ste 205, Spokane, WA 99201
(509) 209-2384
rcs@refugeeconnectionsspokane.org
Dear Friend of Refugee Connections Spokane,
This summer, Refugee Connections Spokane is sharing with you how your support is making a great difference in our community. These last months we have dramatically changed how we work and provide services to refugee and immigrant communities in the Inland Northwest. We have recently updated our mission statement, are developing a strategic plan and are rapidly responding to client needs in the COVID – 19 pandemic.
As a local, grassroots organization, we were quickly able to transform our program and staff roles to address the needs of our refugee and immigrant clients and community members. We have been keeping you informed about areas of concern through our Facebook page, group, website and e-list. We cancelled our annual Spring fundraising event Refugee and Immigrant Songs: Voices of Hope in April and World Refugee Day in June out of concern for the health and safety of the communities that would normally gather for these two events.
To enhance our COVID-19 Response, we hired two new staff people, including a Refugee/Immigrant Service Coordinator and a Marshallese COVID-19 Cultural Liaison. We were granted funds through Innovia Foundation, Philanthropy Northwest, the Washington State Department of Health, and the Washington Department of Social and Health Services for our efforts. Our Cross-Cultural Navigators in our Refugee Elder Outreach Program check in weekly with our elder clients to see what their needs are – whether food, utilities, rental assistance, face masks, hygiene or cleaning supplies. We have been delivering groceries, cleaning and hygiene supplies and Patient Passports and helping with physical and mental health issues.
Through our Refugee Kids Connect program, our Program Coordinator and Program Assistant are serving 100 refugee youth families in 5 apartment complexes in Spokane by delivering food boxes from area food pantries, sharing Census 2020 Outreach and COVID-19 materials, school supplies, face masks and children’s activities. We are partnering with Share Farm to distribute fresh fruit and vegetables to our clients.
We continue doing Census 2020 Outreach, serving Arabic, Kinyarwanda, French, Swahili, Marshallese, Nepali and Russian language groups via social media, text, email and phone through October 31st. We participated in a community-wide Census Drive-Thru on June 20th in the Spokane Valley with other social service agencies.
While we continue programming through grants and a government contract, your donations are crucial to help us better serve our clients. We are seeking in kind donations of children’s books, school and art supplies, face masks and hygiene supplies – which can be delivered to our office. You can mail your contribution to our address, or via Paypal at www.refugeeconnectionsspokane.org.
Thank you for your support of refugees and immigrants in this region!
Marijke Fakasiieiki
Executive Director
Refugee Connections Spokane
35 W. Main Ave. Ste 205, Spokane, WA 99201
(509) 209-2384
rcs@refugeeconnectionsspokane.org
Refugee Connections Spokane Engages in COVID-19 Response!
Due to the changing nature of the COVID-19, the Refugee Connections Spokane Office is now open to seeing drop in visitors. We are open from 9 am to 2 pm Monday through Friday. We ask that you wear a facemask if you visit our office, as that is the policy of the Community Building, where we are housed.
We are working with our partner agencies, such as the Spokane County United Way Area Executives, the Spokane Public Health District and Spokane Public Schools to keep our constituents updated on the best practices and timelines as we Phase in to open up services.
In addition, we are seeking donations to help resource our refugee elders with facemasks (adult and kid sizes), hand sanitizer, cleaning supplies, and gloves that they need. We are accepting donations of kids books, school and art supplies and for our Refugee Kids Connect program that is currently serving 100 families with food, activity kids, school materials, and Personal Protective Equipment, such as facemasks.
Area COVID -19 resources, such as food pantry sites and school grab and go meals: thefigtree.org
Volunteer for Covid-19 response through Spokane County United Way: volunteerspokane.org
Spokane School District translated materials: spokaneschools.org
Spokane Regional Health District: srhd.org
Washington State Department of Health translated materials: https://www.doh.wa.gov/Emergencies/NovelCoronavirusOutbreak2020/HealthEducation
Washington State Department of Health race report for mortality rates:
https://www.doh.wa.gov/Portals/1/Documents/1600/coronavirus/RaceReport20200702.pdf
Asian Pacific Islander Coalition: facebook.com/apicspokane/
Department of Social and Health Services with multiple language translations: COVID-19 Translated Resources Directory – organized by Language. It has over 70 languages and 630 links. It also includes ASL resources, native languages, and mental health resources can also be found here in the grey box on the right: https://www.dshs.wa.gov/esa/office-refugee-and-immigrant-assistance
Direct link to the DSHS document: https://www.dshs.wa.gov/sites/default/files/ESA/oria/documents/DSHS-ORIA%20WA%20COVID%20TRANSLATED%20RESOURCES%20DIRECTORY.pdf
City of Spokane: https://my.spokanecity.org/covid19/
Unemployment Insurance: www.esd.wa.gov
Northwest Harvest (Translated Food Bank booklets): https://www.northwestharvest.org/community-perspectives
RCS Continues Census 2020 Outreach through October 31, 2020!
The Census Bureau www.2020census.gov provides language support including language guides in 56 languages and phone support in 13 languages. The online census form is available in a variety of languages.
To be counted, go to: http://my2020census.gov/ It only takes 5 minutes of your time.
To have a Census Cultural Liaison in Arabic, Kinyarwanda/French/Swahili, Marshallese, Nepali, or Russian, please reach out to help you be counted, please contact marijkef@refugeeconnectionsspokane or (509) 209-2384. We are still hiring for Hmong, Vietnamese, Karen, Chin, and Korean languages.
To be counted, go to: http://my2020census.gov/ It only takes 5 minutes of your time.
To have a Census Cultural Liaison in Arabic, Kinyarwanda/French/Swahili, Marshallese, Nepali, or Russian, please reach out to help you be counted, please contact marijkef@refugeeconnectionsspokane or (509) 209-2384. We are still hiring for Hmong, Vietnamese, Karen, Chin, and Korean languages.
