Somali Community Services Somali Community Services Somali Community Services was established in 1995 to meet the needs of Seattle’s growing Somali community. What would eventually become a social service agency first started out as an informal network of individuals working together to find appropriate burial sites in the Seattle area for their dead. MISSION “Our mission is to work for the success of the refugees to undergo smooth transitional process, and attain sustainability status in their new country.” About the Agency Somali Community Services was established in 1995 to meet the needs of Seattle’s growing Somali community. What would eventually become a social service agency first started out as an informal network of individuals working together to find appropriate burial sites in the Seattle area for their dead. In 1997 the agency was incorporated as a 501c3. The agency staff consists of an Executive Director, two full-time and two part-time case workers/outreach staff. According to staff, there are more than 12,000 Somali refugees living in the Seattle area and the majority were resettled in other parts of the country before coming to Seattle. They report serving more than fifty individuals per month. The agency has three departments; Social Service, Family and Youth Programs, and Administration and Finance. The Social Service department assists refugee families with resource and referrals, training, translation, and employment assistance. The Youth and Family Programs include after-school tutoring, counseling, parent/school education, drug and alcohol prevention, and a computer lab open to the public. The agency staff noted that as the community becomes more established here in Seattle, there is less reliance on outside organizations. Somali Community Services has partnered with the City of Seattle and Public Health to develop community education programs. They also work closely with other mutual assistance organizations and share resources such as staff.
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