Iranian refugee family finds employment, stability with TCH
When Arman first came to TCH in February, things were bumpy. Brand new to Tacoma and the U.S. in general, he got lost several times trying to ride the bus …
Trevor Modeste, 61, Earns Citizenship After 50 Years With Green Card
Sixty-one-year-old Trevor Modeste of Tacoma earned his U.S. citizenship on July 31st, 2017 after not one, but two organizations told him it wouldn’t be possible. Modeste spent fifty years as …
Worth Celebrating
By Andy Boynton, Volunteer As a certified nursing assistant at a Tacoma retirement home and a student in the Central Service/Sterile Processing program at Clover Park Technical College, Yuridia De …
Boeing grants $86,000 to Project Nightingale
TACOMA, WA—This past November, aircraft manufacturer Boeing granted $86,000 to Tacoma Community House’s Project Nightingale, an initiative of the agency’s Employment Department to help adults earn their Nursing Assistant Certification. …
Andre’s Story
In 1991, 21-year-old Andre Barnett decided to make the trek from one West Coast to another nearly 6,400 miles away. He left his family in Senegal, a coastal country with …
United in Song: The Tacoma choir that welcomes refugees with music
Sept. 8, 2016 | By Rosemary Ponnekanti
It’s not your average choir. Tacoma’s Community House Choir does “Do Re Mi” and Michael Jackson, sings in Arabic and Kurdish and welcomes refugees by singing with them. And director Erin Guinup wants it to inspire others – beginning with citizenship ceremonies for National Welcome Week.
Concrete Technology Corporation Reflection
We value all of our partners. Below is a reflection from Kaylee Davis the HR Manager from Concrete Technology Corporation:
“I truly enjoy working with Tacoma Community House. TCH was one of the first places Concrete Technology Corporation’s then HR Manager, Virginia Robinson, introduced me to TCH and we continue to call upon you today. Paul, Arrie and other members of your staff have always been gracious in our requests for help with job fairs, community partnerships, and for sharing talented, motivated individuals who have become part of the CTC family, like D. Alan Graham, Malik Masten, Kang Yi, Chhoeurb Chhin, Moumen Zareghi, and Hugo Cornelio to name a few.
Like TCH, Concrete Technology Corporation has long been involved with supporting the local community and we appreciate the help and support TCH gives to its clients/students because in return, we receive employees who are willing and able, and just good people to work with. Without TCH we would really be left with a shortage of skilled individuals in an increasingly tight labor market.”
Interested in supporting our work, make a contribution today.
Meet Marie Anne
Marie Anne is a 67 year old immigrant from Haiti. She came to the United States in September of 2007 to reunite with her daughter. In 2013, she came to Tacoma Community House seeking services from our immigration department. She was thrilled to learn we offered immigration assistance that included free citizenship classes and assistance with immigration paperwork. Marie Anne was also delighted to learn she could receive all of these services in one place.
Marie Anne took her first step towards becoming a naturalized citizen by enrolling in our citizenship classes in October of 2013. During the course of her time at TCH, Marie Anne accumulated 180 hours of instruction. Her teacher shared she had perfect attendance in all four quarters and during her entire enrollment only missed one.
In March of 2014, Marie Anne was ready to submit her application to become a U.S. citizen. She met with an Immigration Specialist at TCH to help her fill out her application in April. After submitting the application, the Naturalization interview followed on November 4. Marie Anne’s citizenship class was excited and anxious to hear how the interview process went. To everyone’s delight Marie Anne came back to her class after the interview and proudly showed everyone her Citizenship Certificate!
Interested in helping aspiring citizens? Support our immigration program by making a contribution today.
Meet Shakira
For many, the immigrant experience brings many challenges beyond learning a new language. Shakira came to Tacoma Community House fleeing an emotional and physically abusive relationship — she was afraid, spoke no English and was financially insecure — having left her family and friends in Colombia, Shakira felt alone.
“When I came for the first time, I thought life was hard. My advocate at TCH taught me that it wasn’t difficult.”
Client Advocacy gave her the freedom and the courage she needed to start a new life with her two sons. She was provided with legal advocacy and attained her U-visa, paving the way to self-sufficiency and success.
Being an ambitious woman, Shakira took English as a Second Language and Adult Basic Education classes at TCH. She excelled in all of her studies. She quickly learned English and soon after transferred to Highline Community College to further her education and pursue a career in Nursing. To help finance her education and care for her two sons, Shakira attained her license to start her own cleaning business. She hopes to expand the business by hiring others and managing the business while going to school. “I feel free, I don’t depend on anyone. No one is controlling me or being abusive. I am not afraid and I speak English now!”
Grateful for the services she received at TCH, Shakira intends on paying it forward. By using her testimony, she hopes to encourage other women who have experienced similar hardships to come out of the shadows and leave behind their abusive partners. She plans to volunteer with TCH in the future and provide support and encouragement for other women. Four years ago, Shakira didn’t know how to speak English, didn’t have a driver’s license, didn’t have a job and wasn’t going to school. Today, Shakira knows how to speak English, owns her own business and is going to college. “Today, I look back and have come so far and would not have done it without TCH.”
Interested in helping women like Shakira? Support our client advocacy program by making a contribution today and/or by donating Orca cards or gift cards.
If you are interested in learning more about client advocacy, please contact the Client Advocacy Manager Rocio Chavez de Alvarado.