Rainier
4714 Rainier Avenue South, Suite 105
Seattle, WA 98118
(206) 760-0550
Rainier Vista
(206) 723-2062
4410 29th Ave
Seattle, WA 98108
Yesler Terrace
(206) 344-5872
New Holly
7058 32th Ave South, Suite 103
Seattle, WA 98118
(206) 462-1378
HOAS e-mail
info@hoas.org
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| Letter From The Director |
WHY COMMUNITY BASED ORGANIZATIONS ARE IMPORTATNT- WE ARE COMMITIED TO YOU.
For over 15 years Horn of Africa Services has been providing advocacy and educational services to East African immigrants and refugees through a holistic approach. This is an approach that lends itself to deeper understanding and tolerance in our communities and brings positivity and self reliance to the forefront of peoples lives. We implement programs that allow people who have been through tremendous hardships to regain control of there lives. We instill the concept that people must partake in issues that affect their lives and the lives of their family in order to have a better life. That people have to be their own advocates because they have issues specific to their lives that others may not understand. The community we serve has many obstacles to overcome which include learning a new language and culture, finding jobs in an unstable and confusing job market, overcoming persecution and emotional trauma, as well as preserving the values and customs that they deeply value. Our programs offer support and advocacy that ensure families will not have to endure all of these obstacles alone and our multi-lingual staff allows for a high level of communication and understanding in order to successfully facilitate our mission within our programs.
IN TIMES OF HARDSHIP-THE RECESSION
During such difficult times with an economy that is extremely volatile and unstable, people turn to community and family for support and to try to pool recourses. Many of the people we serve do not have the luxury of family support because their family is fragmented across international lines. They rely on their community and community organization such as Horn of Africa. Jobs are scarce and social service programs have seen significant budget cuts which makes what we do more relevant today than ever before. The stress of everyday life in such hard economic times becomes magnified, add to this, having to re-adjust to a whole new culture, language, and educational system and we find ourselves in a new market where the demand for our services are greater than our capacity to serve. Our focus has now become to provide skills to our clients that are relevant in the current economy and job market and to keep kids involved in programs that have a positive effect on their future. We have increased programs that focus on family stability and continued education, whether it is in our computer and job training classes or in our youth mentoring programs. Horn of Africa Services makes it a priority to have programs that are relevant to current markets and that address current social issues particular to our community.
THE VALUE AND IMPORTANCE OF INVESTING IN YOUTH
An issue and of particular importance to HOAS in this economic climate is youth violence. We know that after school programs prevent kids from partaking in activities that will negatively affect their lives including illegal activities, reckless behavior, violence and pregnancy. We have been on board for many years with the philosophy recently adopted by the city of Seattle, which is focused on prevention and investment in youth early on. We have taken a proactive approach rather than a reactive approach and ask for everyone to take interest in the youth in Seattle whether it is in your particular neighborhood or across the board. The youth in our programs are all considered “at risk” simply due to their socioeconomic status. They are English Language Learners, come from low income families, and are dealing with peer issues that become extremely complex in the context of their own lives. Their parents endured extreme hardships to get to the United States and many of our kids are becoming lost between two worlds or in other words, two cultures. They need valuable resources and outlets to discuss all of the complex issues that become a part of their daily lives. Please take interest in the lives of youth, volunteer in our youth programs, and make a huge difference in a child’s life.
OUR COMMITMENT TO THE COMMUNITY
Horn of Africa Services is committed to helping people better their lives, regardless of their background and is distinguished by the large impact that is made across so many social service sectors, of which has evolved greatly in the past 5 years. We are located in public housing communities which allow for our staff members to be a constant positive force and resource to the community that we serve. Our staff members have become the extended family of individuals and families in the areas we serve, which allows for high levels of trust, communication, and positive outcomes. We are committed to helping our community and our success comes from every child, family or individual that achieves their personal goals, does better in school, gets the job they worked hard for, and/or for every child who is inspired to do something they never knew they loved.
OUR SUCCESS IS YOUR SUCCESS
We ask everyone to find a level of empathy and understanding for individuals and families in our community and their own communities so that our success can be a shared success in our community and yours for a long time to come.
THANK YOU
I would like to personally thank every organization and individual who has supported Horn of Africa Services. On behalf of all of all of our staff and board members we thank you deeply for making a commitment to our mission and making a difference in our community.
Thank you very much!
Tsegaye Gebru
HOAS Director
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Abubaker Ali - Board President
Jan Stephens
Micheal Nigusse
Abdulahi Jama
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