Refugee agency finds home in Hazelwood

Agency: IRCO speaker at January Hazelwood meeting

Lee Perlman

THE MID-COUNTY MEMO

Not many people in Oregon have heard of IRCO, but most refugees and immigrants to the state get to know it well, and now the Hazelwood neighborhood is about to.

IRCO - the Immigrant and Refugee Community Organization - is in the process of renovating and moving into the former Montavilla Lumber Company building at 10301 N.E. Glisan St. They also plan to establish a community center next door.

An IRCO representative will speak at the next Hazelwood Neighborhood Association meeting beginning at 6:30 p.m. January 21 at East Precinct, 737 S.E. 106th Ave.

“We simply outgrew our old headquarters” at 1336 E. Burnside St., spokesperson Renee Jensen told the Memo. “We looked at other locations, including the Seven-Up building in Hollywod.  This is prime because it has such good connections to both MAX  (light rail) and the freeways.”

With an annual budget of $6 million and a staff of 110 people from 46 countries speaking 36 languages, IRCO is the 20th largest non-profit corporation in Oregon. Now in its 25th year, it provides more than 40 different training and assistance programs for refugees and immigrants. These include:

*Cash assistance for refugees of $433 a month, a requirement for which is training in English as a second language and every day skills such as use of the transit system. IRCO also supplies bus tickets for special needs.

*Youth and family services, including family crisis intervention, programs for gang-affiliated and at-risk youth, parenting classes, finding “culturally appropriate” day care, and assistance for seniors.

*Employment training, including the use of computers and power tools and instruction in English as it is likely to be used on the job. This is done both in-house and in cooperation with other programs. IRCO also offers specialized training to meet the needs of specific employers. The Silver Plume Import Company recently worked with IRCO to hire and train a group of Russian immigrants, and the managers “were amazed at their work ethic,” Jensen says.

*“Specialized outreach,” which translates as helping clients link up with particular sectors of the larger community. For example, they help artists contact galleries and the local arts community.

*Information and referral.

IRCO referred several Bosnian immigrants to the Silver Plume Imports Company as warehouse workers. After three years, four are still so employed. Silver Plume’s Cheryl Jackson says the experience “has been fabulous.” Among the factory workers are a former high school principal and an electrical engineer.  “They’re certainly capable of working at a higher skill level and rate of pay, but language is a barrier,” Jackson says.  “They’re very hard workers and extremely motivated to succeed.  Their work ethic is something we don’t often find among American workers, and it’s very refreshing.”

As to the language barrier, “We bump with that. It’s usually pretty obvious what has to be done, but sometimes we need more detailed explanations, and it involves extra effort. The other side of that is that we’ve learned so much. My heart goes out to anyone who’s a refugee. To have to cope with new customs, learn how to use money all over again, take jobs so far below their skill level and social standing - it’s incredible what they have to go through.”

Right now, IRCO is adjusting to its new home.   “We talked to (the) Hazelwood Neighborhood Associa-tion before we started,” Jensen says. “They were quite eager to have us come out and add to the diversity of their community. I think we’ll be an asset to them. Our employees will patronize local businesses.”

However, there were a few initial bumps in the road. “The people behind them were very concerned about the parking impact,” Hazelwood chair Arlene Kimura says. There were in fact some problems last year, as IRCO attempted to hold some events, including a workshop that “just mushroomed,” while work on the center was still going on.

Jensen says IRCO is seeking off-site spaces to supplement their own 35-space parking lot, and are providing incentives for people to bike, use transit or carpool. Kimura says the agency has promised to warn the neighborhood beforehand of any large gatherings. “I think they’re trying very hard not to have a negative impact,” she says.

 “Personally I think they’ll be a resource for us, and we for them,” Kimura says. “They’re a resource for people who have difficulty integrating into our society because of a language barrier. We can help them learn about neighborhood associations, which are not common in a lot of places.”