Youth Services

Refugee Assistance Program

The Refugee Assistance Program (RAP) is a special ministry of the Archdiocesan Housing Authority (AHA), an agency of Catholic Community Services (CCS) of Western Washington. The mission of the Refugee Assistance Program is "To assist refugees, immigrants and their families in attaining self-sufficiency through advocacy, education and employment. This is achieved through resettlement services, employment assistance, English language instruction referral, citizenship preparation, and youth and family support." The Refugee Assistance Program is located at St. Edward Parish in Seattle’s Rainier Valley.


Phinney Neighborhood Association

The Phinney Neighborhood Association (PNA) is a non-profit community organization that provides and promotes programs, services and activities aimed at encouraging connections between neighbors and fostering civic involvement in our diverse community. Headquartered in a restored elementary school building, the PNA has developed an active community center that not only serves as a focus of Seattle's Phinney/Greenwood neighborhood, but offers a wide variety of programs and activities open to anyone in the Puget Sound region.

Technology Center

The PNA runs a Technology Center that includes two public access computers, a computer lab and a variety of computer-related classes, and an Education Program that offers or provides space for over 80 regularly scheduled classes. The facilities can also be rented.


Lutheran Community Services

Lutheran Community Services (LCS) offers multiple programs to provide assistance to refugees through its Multicultural Community Services Seattle Office. These programs include a Reception & Placement Program to welcome refugees at the airport, arrange accommodations, provide food and furniture, and orient the refugees to daily life in their new home. Case managers—able to speak the refugee’s language—help newly-arrived refugees process paperwork and secure governmental assistance, enter employment programs, attend ESL classes, and generally find solutions to any problems that arise in the resettlement process; an Immigration Counseling and Advocacy Program (ICAP) to provide low-cost immigration counseling to Seattle’s refugee and immigrant populations. ICAP counsels refugees and immigrants about their rights and responsibilities pertaining to their immigration status, helps clients with all immigration forms and applications, and represents clients before the INS. ICAP staff also provides translation and interpretation services; public notary services; attorney referrals; immigration and passport photos; and fingerprinting services. In addition, ICAP engages in advocacy for the preservation of immigrants’ rights in the legal system at all levels of government; the Social Services Project provides social services to refugees who have resettled in the Puget Sound region. These services include free immigration assistance (especially green card applications after one year of residence), assistance in applying and qualifying for low income housing programs and advocacy for refugees with health clinics, public schools and other public and private agencies. The project also provide mental health counseling for families who may have difficulty adjusting to life in the US, and assist families in locating resources for childcare; the Holiday Gift Program, on Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter, LCS coordinates a gift giving program, in which the neediest refugee families can receive gifts of furniture, household items, clothing and food. Families let LCS know what their greatest needs are, and they find individuals, organizations, churches or businesses that are willing to provide these items in new or good condition.


Horn of Africa Services

Horn of Africa Services (HOAS) is a multi-lingual, multicultural nonprofit organization offering individual and family counseling and referral services. They respond to health, employment, housing and educational needs within communities from Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Somalia, Sudan, and neighboring countries who are living in the Greater Seattle area. HOAS provides services by bilingual staff speaking in Amharic, Oromo, Tigrigna, and Somali.

Horn of Africa Services conducts 'Job Readiness' workshops, monthly legal clinics, and an annual gift giving program for needy families. In addition, Horn of Africa Services has successfully produced seven citizenship videos in four major East African languages to disseminate information and help prospective individuals prepare for U.S. naturalization testing. The organization has programs including information and referral, advocacy and counseling, citizenship classes, ESL, Outreach, a legal immigration clinic, job training and placement, youth services and an East African Self-reliance Project.


Syndicate content