International Rescue Committee in WA

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International Rescue Committee in WA

The International Rescue Committee in Seattle helps welcome and support refugees and immigrants.

26/05/2026

Looking for a volunteer opportunity this June 19th and 20th? Great! We would love to have you volunteer and help IRC Seattle and our partners put on World Refugee Day 2026. We have all sorts of roles from setting up tables and decor, to helping in the Kidzone, to helping pack up the event after it is done. There are some roles on June 19 and some on June 20! You can sign-up here:

22/05/2026

A few weeks ago, the Head of School at The Perkins School spoke with elementary students about the importance of kindness—and they took it to heart!

Students organized a gift card drive for IRC Seattle, collecting 68 gift cards to help welcome immigrants and newcomers to Western Washington. For every $25 donated, they “made a home together” by removing a brick to reveal a mural designed by IRC super volunteer and illustrator Kathryn Rathke. The finished artwork featured familiar Perkins touches, including Ollie the school dog.

And that’s not all—the Perkins community also gave more than $2,000 to support IRC Seattle. A powerful reminder that kindness is alive and well in our community.
Interested in hosting a donation drive? Email [email protected] to get started.

27/04/2026

Know who else cares about Earth Day? Starbucks (special shoutout to the Refugee and Immigrant Alliance)! On Earth Day, last Wednesday, Starbucks partners joined us at Horseneck Farm to improve our "wash/pack station" where our farmers wash and pack their produce before bringing to market. Volunteers set up new sinks, weeded the area, and freed a irrigation line from blackberries. All of this done to contribute to New Roots sustainable agricultural practices. Oh, and this was all done over three hours in the rain!

Thanks Starbucks and great work! So much got done!

24/04/2026

Our New Roots urban agriculture program offers an excellent way to celebrate Earth Day. DocuSign knows!

This past Tuesday 4/21, 10 Docusigners came to Namaste Garden in Tukwila and WORKED: added mulch to our Native Plant Space, removed a rusty mattress stubbornly stuck in the ground, and prepped the soil so it can maintain moisture more effectively. The Native Plant Space is now complete! We will now have
happy soil, happy plants, and a space that will be used for education for youth and gardeners of our local ecosystem.

Thank you Docusign!

23/04/2026

It's Volunteer Appreciation Week! This morning, many volunteers and program leads were able to come together to celebrate our volunteers this morning at our second annual Volunteer Appreciation Breakfast. It was a wonderful gathering with one of the themes that was highlighted again and again was the light that volunteers are for our clients and for our staff. Volunteers mean so much to us, and it was a pleasure to celebrate you all today. Thank you!

A special thanks also goes out to in Fremont who graciously donated pastries and coffee for the event. Thank you Sea Wolf Bakers! It was delicious and everyone gave it a thumbs up!

26/03/2026

It's always great to have the local IRC office connect with our international programming. Even better when we are hosted by a great partner like DocuSign!

On Tuesday, Ciarán Donnelly (Senior Vice President of IRC's Crisis, Response, Recovery and Development division) and Kathleen Morris (Executive Director of IRC Seattle) spoke to Docusigners about the intersection of IRC's work internationally and our work locally. It was an engaging conversation during which Docusigners also offered their time to help us write thank you notes to donors.

Docusigners (and anyone else), make sure to sign-up on Benevity for our New Roots urban agriculture workday during Earth Week on 4/21 in Tukwila! More details here: https://volunteer.rescue.org/opportunities/c0RkXofZoA

17/03/2026

Not every college student spends their spring breaks volunteering at non-profit agencies, but that is what four students from Yale University and the -American Cultural Center did last week.

These students crossed the country to work with IRC Seattle and collected data to evaluate program performance, designed youth curriculum, completed critical admin tasks for the immigration team, and researched grant opportunities for our Seattle office. This work has and will continue to allow our staff and programs to extend their capacities in service of IRC's clients. Many thanks to Yale and the Asian-American Cultural Center!

06/03/2026

We are excited to announce the launch of a new pilot project, the Washington Immigrant Information Center or WA-Immigrant.Info!

The Washington Immigrant and Information Center is the product of a unique collaboration with the International Rescue Committee, the Washington Office of Refugee and Immigrant Assistance, and the Health Care Authority. This multilingual information service pilot is designed to provide immigrant and refugee communities across Washington with clear, verified, and trustworthy information.

Our trained Information Specialists are ready and available to answer questions from the community to help them better understand their rights, protect their data, and make informed decisions about their safety and well-being. Information can be accessed anonymously and without eligibility screening. Our Specialists speak Spanish, Ukrainian, Russian, French, and English, and we offer interpretation in dozens of languages.

Please share this new project widely with your network in Washington. Visit the website at WA-immigrant.info!

27/02/2026

Last night, IRC Seattle was awarded Non‑Profit of the Year by the Seattle Southside Chamber of Commerce at their Southside Business Awards event. This recognition was given in honor of the impactful work of our Small Business Program team.

This small but mighty team works tirelessly to engage and uplift local entrepreneurs. They have reached out to nearly 700 home‑based businesses and completed 150 in‑person visits to brick‑and‑mortar establishments, offering capital readiness services. They enrolled 113 small business owners in FY25, providing business counseling, assistance with grants and loans, and invaluable guidance and access to resources.

As the Chamber noted: “The Seattle Southside Leadership Awards recognize Chamber members who demonstrate exceptional leadership, service, and impact within our business community. Your selection reflects the meaningful contributions you have made to the Seattle Southside region, and we are honored to recognize your work.”

Way to go to this incredible team! 🥰

26/02/2026

World Cup Seattle 2026 is closer than you think ⚽ Last month, the Small Business Development Team at IRC Seattle hosted the first workshop in our World Cup 2026 readiness series — and the turnout was incredible! So many smart, forward-thinking business owners. So many important questions. We took notes.

Now we’re hosting Part 2 — more practical, more structured, and focused on what you actually need to do. Here’s what we’ll dive into:
• Smart capital decisions
• Permits & compliance
• Business Readiness Assessment — full operational checklist
• Creative revenue plays that work

Even if you didn’t attend the first session — this one stands on its own and will give you a clear action roadmap.
📅 Wednesday, March 5, 2026
💻 Online via Zoom
🔗 Join here: https://tinyurl.com/IRCWCready2
If you run a small business in Seattle, this is the moment to prepare — not react. Hope to see you there!

Address

Telephone

+12066232105

Website

http://Rescue.org/Seattle

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