SPOKANE, Wash. — A local organization will receive $1 million to help refugees and immigrants adjust to life in Spokane.
Thrive International is often the first stop for many refugees and immigrants in Spokane and provides transitional housing, programming and other helpful resources.
Yulia Boicheva came to Spokane from Ukraine with her husband and son.
She said Thrive was integral to her family finding their way.
“You don’t know the language, you don’t know where you should go first. You don’t know how to receive your documents, like your work authorization and social security number,” said Boicheva.
The $1 million in funding was approved by Spokane City Council on September 23 and provided by the American Rescue Plan Act.
Thrive currently has 92 beds available for clients in need of transitional housing and plans to use the grant money to expand their reach further, at least to 350 households.
The organization said the funding will help provide clients with case managers, ESL classes, job training and social programming for women and children.
“Many times, refugee women, when they arrive in Spokane, their husbands will work and the wife will stay home and we see that vulnerable situation and how we can assimilate them into the community,” said Saw Garry, Thrive International’s Program Director.
Boicheva said it helped to have that kind of programming for herself and her children.
“At that time, it was great to have some support like kids’ clothing,” she said.
Boicheva now works at Thrive.
“My favorite part is when I see first-time families arrive. Once they receive all of the resources, find friends and family, receive a job, receive documents, they become happy,” said Boicheva.
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