WELCOME TO REFUGEE & IMMIGRANT SERVICES NORTHWEST
For more than 40 years, Refugee & Immigrant Services Northwest (RISNW) has been helping newly arrived refugees and immigrants rebuild their lives and achieve their full potential as contributing citizens in their new homeland.
OUR MISSION
Refugee & Immigrant Services Northwest is a refugee led, multi-ethnic, multi-cultural organization. Our mission is to empower refugees, immigrants and their families to become self-sufficient and healthy, contributing members of society.
Refugee & Immigrant Services Northwest grassroots beginnings in 1977, started with serving newly arrived Southeast Asian refugees in Snohomish County. We have since grown to become a multi-service organization serving refugees and immigrants living in Snohomish, Whatcom, Skagit, San Juan and Island Counties. Our core staff of 20 full-time and 137 on-call interpreters are fluent in 40 languages and dialects. We value partnerships, collaborations and services delivered by culturally relevant and linguistically appropriate staff who reflect the clients we serve.
We accomplish our mission by providing a comprehensive array of linguistically and culturally appropriate services, and advocate for equitable funding and services for limited English speaking refugees and immigrants.
SERVICES & PROGRAMS
Through our programs and services, RISNW offers our clients hope and a way to achieve their potential, as we help them move along a pathway to economic independence and successful integration into US society.
CORE VALUES
Partnerships and Collaboration
Linguistically and culturally relevant service delivery approaches
Transparent and flexible practices
Equity, Diversity and Inclusion
Refugee and immigrant voice and self determination
OUR HISTORY
RISNW began in 1977 as the Refugee Forum of Snohomish County to help newly arrived refugees from Southeast Asia. Shortly thereafter, our history of collaborative partnerships began as we established our office at Everett Community College. Everett Community College (EvCC) as well as Edmonds Community College (EdCC) and Employment Security Department (ESD) are among early, long-term partners in the delivery of ESL and employment services. We have been a DSHS Office of Refugee and Immigrant Assistance (ORIA) funded service provider for more than 30 years, and a WorkSource partner since 2008.
In 2005, we changed our name to Refugee & Immigrant Services Northwest to reflect our expanded services to Skagit and Whatcom Counties and a broader, more diverse refugee and immigrant population. RISNW is now co-located at Alderwood CSO, Edmonds College, Everett Community College, Everett CSO, Everett WorkSource, Bellingham CSO, Mt. Vernon CSO, Smokey Point CSO and by appointment at Sky Valley CSO.
Current partnerships exemplify diversity of funding sources and programs.
A few examples include: ORIA PRIME partnership with Diocese of Olympia Refugee Resettlement Office; Snohomish WorkSource consortium with Cocoon House, Housing Hope and Seattle Jobs Initiative; Civic Engagement/Get Out to Vote partnership with Asian Counseling and Referral Service and others; North Sound ACH Cultural Alimentos Project, a consortium with Bellingham Food Bank, NABC Latinx Business Development Program and Agape Food Bank and our LEP Pathway Employment partnership with World Relief (WR) and the Diocese of Olympia Refugee Resettlement Office (RRO), and ESL partnership with Everett Community College and Edmonds College.
These partnerships and programs support our mission of helping refugees and immigrants to become self-sufficient and achieve their potential as contributing members of society in their new homeland.
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Equal Opportunity and Non-Discrimination Statement
Refugee & Immigrant Services Northwest (RISNW) is an equal opportunity employer. We value diversity, equity and inclusion. We do not discriminate in any area of employment, programs or services on the basis of age, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity/expression, marital status, race, creed, color, national origin, religion or beliefs, political affiliation, military status, honorably discharged veteran, Vietnam Era, recently separated or other protected veteran status, the presence of any sensory, mental, physical disability or the use of a trained dog guide or service animal by a person with a disability, equal pay or genetic information.
Refugee & Immigrant Services Northwest is a 501(c)3 tax exempt organization. Donations are tax deductible.