Partners prepare translated resource directories

The Fig Tree, World Relief, Refugee Connections, and Aging and Long-Term Care of Eastern Washington are partnering to serve elders among Spokane’s 30,000 refugees. 

“Many are too old to work,” said Mark Kadel, executive director of World Relief.  “Many suffered severe persecution.” 

After 65, it’s a struggle to learn a new language, creating additional barriers for elders, who struggle to communicate and access the resources Spokane provides.

The partners are developing specialized directories for elder refugees struggling and needing to know about resources.  The Fig Tree and partners selected appropriate resources from The Fig Tree’s annual community Resource Directory. 

World Relief has translated copy into Arabic, Russian, Chin, Karen and Nepali for the pilot project.  They received funding from the Office of Immigration Assistance of the State Department of Social and Health Services and from the Senior Assistance Fund of Eastern Washington.

Refugee Connections is working with students at Lewis & Clark High School who will provide training for the refugees so they can use the resource guide effectively.

They will print a total of 500 copies in the different languages.

Fig Tree Resource Directory editor Malcolm Haworth has helped select the resources, prepared copy for translations and transferred translations into formatted layouts to prepare camera-ready copy.  AmeriCorps assistant Shannon St. Hilaire helped in that process. 

“We went on faith with our portion of the work unfunded, so we are seeking advertisers, donations, underwriters and grants to cover our portion of the work,” said Fig Tree editor Mary Stamp.

For information, call 535-4112 or email mary@thefigtree.org. Check out the Youtube video from Refugee Connections Spokane

 

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