ECAC Emergency Refugee Support Fund
Tax deductible
The Ethiopian Community Association of Chicago (ECAC) , which is one of the earliest and oldest Ethiopian community organizations and known for its remarkable success in North America, is presently in jeopardy. ECAC is a non-profit, non-sectarian and non-sectional charitable organization committed in serving the cultural, psychological and socio-economic needs of all refugees and immigrants in and around metropolitan Chicago. This all-inclusive organization has played an exemplary and model leadership role in Chicago communities for the past three decades in supporting individuals and families from all African, Asian, Middle Eastern and Eastern European refugee populations who sought its services to improve the qualities of their challenging life circumstances. We sincerely appeal to all humanitarians and fair-minded people to join hands in redeeming this noble organization to do its honorable work from the devastation hanging over our needy communities.
With a two-year budget impasse in the state of Illinois and recent changes to immigration and refugee resettlement policy, ECAC has already suffered great losses. The White House’s executive order to suspend the refugee program* forced ECAC to layoff nearly half of its staff and those remaining are doing more work while taking 20% pay cuts. ECAC leadership has also placed its community center building on the market as State and Federal funding disappears. At this dark hour in ECAC’s history, we are turning to our most valued resource: community supporters like you.
It was the tragedy of a car accident in 1984 which took the life of an Ethiopian immigrant in Chicago that sparked ECAC’s founding members to establish the Association. Those five visionary founders recognized a great need which they believed they could meet. However, no one would have predicted how many lives would be changed 33 years later because of their decision to organize.
ECAC has welcomed over three thousand refugees to Chicago, offering essential services to rebuild their lives after facing persecution. It has assisted thousands in gaining employment, trained hundreds with new job skills, computer skills, and small business training. ECAC has educated hundreds of refugees and immigrants with English language classes and hundreds of Ethiopian youth have retained their cultural heritage, history, and language through after school and summer camp programs. Financial literacy, new homeowner counseling, health education and outreach, senior programs, and citizenship classes are just a few more examples of the many programs which have been offered through the Association over the years.
The community center has also hosted dozens of community events from graduation parties and wedding ceremonies to funeral receptions for grieving families. The center has assisted the South Sudanese community and refugee business owners with office spaces, shared its meeting hall and office space with the Congolese community for their worship services, and many other immigrant community groups and local nonprofit organizations have enjoyed the benefit of ECAC’s community center.
ECAC is also home to the only Ethiopian museum in North America with more than two thousand Ethiopian artifacts in its collection – made possible by the generous donation of the late musician, composer, choreographer, conductor and cultural expert, Tesfaye Lemma. This one-of-a-kind collection has not only impressed but educated hundreds of visitors on Ethiopian culture, history, and tradition.
Yet all of these programs and the great success and history of the Ethiopian Community Association of Chicago are at risk. We need your help. Politics and government decisions do not have to determine our future. It is more important than ever to invest in our heritage and culture and share it with the world; to invest in immigrant communities, their creativity and great strengths. Your donations will keep our doors open, retain our vital support system for immigrants and refugees, and strengthen our unique cultural programming.
*While the courts have halted both executive orders the refugee program has already suffered and slowed, and the reduction of arrivals from 110,000 to 50,000 is expected to remain in effect. The damage has been done and ECAC will likely only resettle refugees at a third of its capacity this year and for the next three or more years to come.
ECAC welcoming one of the first refugee families to arrive after the courts lifted the travel ban - reuniting after months apart.
With a two-year budget impasse in the state of Illinois and recent changes to immigration and refugee resettlement policy, ECAC has already suffered great losses. The White House’s executive order to suspend the refugee program* forced ECAC to layoff nearly half of its staff and those remaining are doing more work while taking 20% pay cuts. ECAC leadership has also placed its community center building on the market as State and Federal funding disappears. At this dark hour in ECAC’s history, we are turning to our most valued resource: community supporters like you.
It was the tragedy of a car accident in 1984 which took the life of an Ethiopian immigrant in Chicago that sparked ECAC’s founding members to establish the Association. Those five visionary founders recognized a great need which they believed they could meet. However, no one would have predicted how many lives would be changed 33 years later because of their decision to organize.
ECAC has welcomed over three thousand refugees to Chicago, offering essential services to rebuild their lives after facing persecution. It has assisted thousands in gaining employment, trained hundreds with new job skills, computer skills, and small business training. ECAC has educated hundreds of refugees and immigrants with English language classes and hundreds of Ethiopian youth have retained their cultural heritage, history, and language through after school and summer camp programs. Financial literacy, new homeowner counseling, health education and outreach, senior programs, and citizenship classes are just a few more examples of the many programs which have been offered through the Association over the years.
The community center has also hosted dozens of community events from graduation parties and wedding ceremonies to funeral receptions for grieving families. The center has assisted the South Sudanese community and refugee business owners with office spaces, shared its meeting hall and office space with the Congolese community for their worship services, and many other immigrant community groups and local nonprofit organizations have enjoyed the benefit of ECAC’s community center.
ECAC is also home to the only Ethiopian museum in North America with more than two thousand Ethiopian artifacts in its collection – made possible by the generous donation of the late musician, composer, choreographer, conductor and cultural expert, Tesfaye Lemma. This one-of-a-kind collection has not only impressed but educated hundreds of visitors on Ethiopian culture, history, and tradition.
Yet all of these programs and the great success and history of the Ethiopian Community Association of Chicago are at risk. We need your help. Politics and government decisions do not have to determine our future. It is more important than ever to invest in our heritage and culture and share it with the world; to invest in immigrant communities, their creativity and great strengths. Your donations will keep our doors open, retain our vital support system for immigrants and refugees, and strengthen our unique cultural programming.
*While the courts have halted both executive orders the refugee program has already suffered and slowed, and the reduction of arrivals from 110,000 to 50,000 is expected to remain in effect. The damage has been done and ECAC will likely only resettle refugees at a third of its capacity this year and for the next three or more years to come.
ECAC welcoming one of the first refugee families to arrive after the courts lifted the travel ban - reuniting after months apart.Organizer
Erku Yimer
Organizer
Chicago, IL
Ethiopian Community Association of Chicago Inc
Registered nonprofit
Donations are typically 100% tax deductible in the US.
