Last month, ReWA’s Kent classroom was host to a dozen students proudly displaying their diploma in Child Care Basics, the first step in a career in early childhood education. Florence held her diploma and smiled, proudly. “I have 40 years of experience teaching, but without credentials it was difficult to get a job.” ReWA program coordinator, Sara Cooley said, “Our…
Washington State starts voting for president in the Presidential Primary Election on March 10. What is a primary election? During this election, Washington residents choose their favorite Democratic or Republican candidate for president to help the political parties choose their nominee later this year. We will vote again on November 3rd in the general election to choose the president. What is…
ReWA partners with Census 2020 so refugee communities get counted! In the last Census, the under-count cost King County hundreds of millions in federal funding. This year, ReWA is partnering with Census 2020 to make sure historically under-counted refugee and immigrant communities get their fair share of resources for education, housing, transportation, and more. On March 12, the Census 2020 form will be…
In late January, the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) announced that the U.S. Customs and Immigration Services (USCIS) public charge rule would go into effect while legal challenges are heard in lower courts. Most of ReWA clients are refugees and asylees and therefore exempt from the public charge rule. However, the steady stream of anti-immigrant policies from the…
Immigration advocates urge lawmakers to ban private prisons, keep courthouses safe, and halt use of face surveillance technology. On February 5 ReWA gathered with hundreds of activists for Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy Day in Olympia. With policy flyers in hand, women and men, immigrants, refugees and native-born, met with their legislators and urged them to support several bills in the…