Metropolitan King County Councilmember Julia Patterson has provided an eight-passenger van to Refugee Women’s Alliance (ReWA), a non-profit organization that assists refugees and immigrants living in King and Snohomish Counties.
The van will help ReWA transport seniors and youth program participants to activities throughout South King County, according to a June 21 County Council media release. ReWA provides services in South King County, including programs in SeaTac and Kent.
“Refugees in our South King County communities often face language, cultural, and transportation barriers to accessing services and making a successful transition,” Patterson said. “Through bilingual and bicultural programs, ReWA helps people overcome these barriers and achieve self-sufficiency, and this van will help ReWA continue to do so.”
ReWA, formerly known as the Southeast Asian Women’s Alliance, was founded in 1985 by a group of successfully resettled women who sought to provide newly arrived women with services not available from other agencies. ReWA operates at 10 locations and is comprised of staff members that speak 37 different languages and dialects.
ReWA delivers bilingual and bicultural services to help immigrants and refugees learn the English language, develop job-related skills, find employment, maintain stability and thrive in Snohomish and King Counties.
Since 1995, the County Council has donated vans from Metro’s Vanpool to local nonprofit organizations to provide transportation for low-income, elderly, youth, and disabled residents. The vans are part of a fleet of county vehicles that have been ‘retired’ after accruing a certain number of miles.
Governments, agencies and organizations that receive vans must meet specific requirements, including outlining specific plans for using the van, ability to provide quality and trained drivers, and assurance that the van will be available to assist persons without regard to affiliation with any particular organization.
Interested organizations can contact Patterson’s office at 206-296-1005 or julia.patterson@kingcounty.gov for more information about applying for a vehicle.
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