News & Events

Refugee Arts and Crafts Draw a Crowd for World Refugee Day

Wednesday, June 28, 2006

Several hundred people gathered at the offices of Seattle public television station KCTS on June 28th to view arts, crafts and performances created by Seattle-area refugees. “Refugee Artvocacy” as the event is called, was a collaboration among the Jump$tart Fund Microenterprise Program, The IRC, and KCTS.  Eighteen refugee artists and craftspeople from thirteen different countries participated. There were also performances by Cambodian and Meskhetian Turk dance groups and an Iranian virtuoso on the tar, a stringed lute-like instrument. Distinguished artist and IRC-resettled Iraqi refugee Sabah al-Dhaher was the keynote speaker. The Jump$tart and The IRC raised $3,000 at the event!
 
This would not have been possible without our wonderful team of ARTvocacy volunteers! IRC and Jump$tart truly appreciate all of the time and effort these wonderful volunteers put in during the past few months in order to make this event happen. Over 50 volunteers did things like: interview artists and write biographies; photograph artists; transport art; put up fliers all around the city, from North Seattle to Tukwila; call businesses for donations, pick up food donations; figure out where to put the art and how to display it; pick up donated wine in Eastern Washington; conduct outreach to artists; write country reports; set up the day before and the day of the event; work during the event stage managing, bartending, djing, watching the elevator, putting art on the walls, manning the IRC booth and craft tables, greeting guests at the door, cooking food in the kitchen and keeping food tables replenished, assisting the artists and much much more! We could not have done it without you and we appreciate your help so much! Special thanks to Brendan Lattin, our volunteer curator, Keri Cavanaugh, art display director, Dao Huynh, volunteer manager, Rory Flynn volunteer DJ, Becca Baldwin, volunteer stage manager, Maddy Porter, graphic designer, and Erica Nelson, volunteer bartender, and Lindsey White.
 
If you are interested in helping with this event next year, we would love to have your help! Please contact The Jump$tart Fund if you would like to be involved.

Refugee Resettlement Office broadcasts on SCAN-TV

Wednesday, December 14, 2005

SEATTLE, WASHINGTON - Refugee Resettlement Office Director, Greg Hope, and Program Developer, Kelsey Jones-Casey, appeared on community access TV Friday, December 2. The two staff members were interviewed on Somali TV of Washington, a weekly program on Seattle-based SCAN-TV.

The 24-hour cable-TV channel operates in King and Snohomish Counties and reaches over 400,000 subscribers.

Jones-Casey set up the interview in order to raise awareness within the Somali community about the Refugee Resettlement Office’s JumpStart program.

During the program’s allotted one hour, Hope and Jones-Casey answered questions about the Office’s JumpStart Microenterprise Fund. Sitting under bright lights and surrounded by multiple Somalian crew members, they answered questions about everything from what services are provided by JumpStart to how a loan can be structured to avoid paying interest.

Stating both the questions and answers in Somali and English, host Abdullahi Oman translated for their target audience.

Hope emphasized that the purpose of the program is to help refugees and asylees start or strengthen businesses. He also outlined the details of obtaining a microloan fund. Kelsey answered questions about what kinds of businesses have been started with help from JumpStart.

Multiple call-in questions were received, more than could be answered within the limited time frame. Some callers wanted to know if the JumpStart program could finance personal needs such as a car and if loans over $10,000 could be granted. Even in cases like these, when the answer was “no,” Hope and Jones-Casey had advice. They gave suggestions for where people could find resources and assistance and strongly encouraged them to come to the Refugee Resettlement Office to ask more questions.