Wednesday, March 11, 2009

Association celebrates 25 years of helping refugees

The Intercultural Mutual Assistance Association will celebrate 25 years of making Rochester "home" with an open house and international bazaar Friday.

IMAA is a nonprofit organization that supports refugees, immigrants and others by providing culturally and linguistically appropriate support services. It is funded by the United Way of Olmsted County, public and private grants, service fees and contributions.
The organization was founded in 1984 to respond to the needs of Southeast Asian refugees resettling in southeastern Minnesota. Refugees continue to make Rochester their home, and IMAA continues to assist Bosnian, Sudanese, Somali, Ethiopian and Iraqi refugees in addition to people from Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, Mexico and Central America.

Programs include interpreting and translating, the Community Health Worker program, employment, social services and culturally appropriate victim services. Last year IMAA programs helped more than 500 refugees and immigrants find employment and helped guide more than 5,000 people through the health system, language education, legal system and social services. Through IMAA's support, clients ultimately become self-sufficient members of the community who are able to access the resources that they need.

The organization has 16 staff members and 17 members of the board of directors who are multilingual, first-generation immigrants and refugees.

IMAA
What: The Intercultural Mutual Assistance Association open house and international bazaar to celebrate the organization's 25th anniversary

When: 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Friday

Where: IMAA, 2500 Valleyhigh Drive N.W. in Rochester, Minnesota


Source: Post-Bulletin

No comments:

Post a Comment