(myedmondsnews) Afghan families and individuals looking for ways to escape the turmoil in their home country are finding new beginnings in Snohomish County, thanks to the coordinating efforts of the Everett-based Refugee and Immigrant Services Northwest (RISNW).
Started in 1977 to help newly-arrived refugees from Southeast Asia, RISNW was at first known as the Refugee Forum of Snohomish County. Seeing collaborative partnerships as critical to this effort, the organization established an early office at Everett Community College. Soon, Edmonds Community College (now Edmonds College) and the State Employment Security Department came onboard as long-term partners in the delivery of English as a Second Language (ESL) and employment services, and were later joined by various others including the DSHS Office of Refugee and Immigrant Assistance and WorkSourceWA. Today RISNW serves as nexus, helping connect new arrivals with the help and services they need; the recent upsurge in immigrants from Afghanistan is keeping the organization busy.
