WAUSAU, WI (WSAU-WAOW) – Wausau’s ECDC (Ethiopian Community Development Council) is getting set to help settle a new group of refugees.
As one of a number of relocation organizations across Wisconsin, the ECDC Multicultural Community Center has served an increased amount of refugees each of the last three years.
They get their funding and instruction from Wisconsin’s State Department. How many refugees come at any given time can fluctuate, but it always adds up to the goal of serving 235 people in a fiscal year from September to September.
Every one of them goes through an extensive vetting process, then arrives to the area legally, and ready to work at one of the more than 50 business partners across Marathon and Portage counties.
However, not all refugees require the same assistance, and that’s where the ECDC can step in. Whether it’s medical concerns or language barriers, the organization makes sure those refugees are ready to succeed, and make a positive impact in the process. “They are giving back to the community.” says Executive Director Janice Watson. “If you talk to the employers, they work and they stay there. Our turnover rate for refugee clients at a job is way less. The children are in school, they are loving it, they are participating, they are in sports, they are in programs.”
Watson also says there are many misconceptions and stereotypes she, and the refugees, hear quite regularly. She encourages everyone to reach out to the organization with questions, or talk with some area refugees, as many of them are eager to share their stories.
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