Somali American United Council of Arizona

Program Development ADES 18-212371 that ended in September of 2023. In collaboration with the Refugee Resettlement Program (RRP) for Maricopa County, we supported over 600 multiethnic refugees in 2023. We welcomed 222 new refugees into our program during the 2022-2023 fiscal year. This program is primarily focused on educating and assisting refugees to integrate successfully into the United States. Many were enrolled in our Improved Method of Learning English class for Somali, Swahili, Arabic, Farsi, Dari, Amharic, etc; Naturalization Preparation class; Professional Sewing and Women Empowerment; and others. We helped over 100 refugees to become citizens of the United States in 2023.

Maricopa Community Foundation Non Profit Assistance Grant - The program is to help Refugee Women, Youth to recover from the pandemic's continuing negative impact by establishing programs that lead them toward recovering and self-sufficiency, includes WEP, professional sewing, digital literacy, youth development and enrichment programs, preschool and other critically needed services, education and empowerment. The beauty of this program is that these Refugees are starting their own business producing dresses, pillowcases, quilts, and shirts that they have been able to sell to community members. After successfully completing the program, the women are provided with their own sewing machine, they become excited, and see this opportunity to start a Social Entrepreneurship or social-entrepreneurship business and bring an extra income to their homes. Refugees and Immigrants are the most impacted by the economic losses of the coronavirus pandemic; and the COVID-19 crisis affected all our lives,with refugees and immigrants the hardest hit. During the Pandemic's period, SAUC provided economic relief programs to the multiethnic refugees who qualified for rent and utility assistance through City of Phoenix, and provided other critically needed services for the Multiethnic refugee and under served community in Maricopa County.SAUC is committed to provide the best quality services to the multiethnic refugee community residing in Maricopa County; offering not only access to enriching and developmental activities, but also safe, positive, healthy andcaring environment. SAUC always strive to serve with kindness and humanity, and listen attentively to the need of the multi ethnic refugees and act upon those needs in a timely manner. To continuously increase the SAUCs employees capabilities for performing efficiently their duties we always plan, organize and conduct a professional on-job training and design proper staff development programs. SAUC feeltruly humbled and blessed, and would like to thank he Maricopa County leadership so very much, and everyone who are helping us in accomplishing our goals through the way, giving us the opportunity to work and collaborate together.

Maricopa County Refugee Relocation Program. In collaboration with the Maricopa County Human Services Department, we have supported many multiethnic refugees and underserved communities through housing assistance; case management; support services and interpretation; naturalization and immigration services; Improved Method of Learning English; digital literacy; preschool and youth leadership; and women empowerment, including professional sewing and employment services. We average about 1,000 services per month.