SALT LAKE AMERICAN
SALT LAKE AMERICAN
Significant number of the estimated 10,000 member Somali Refugee Community Members living in Salt Lake County face significant language and cultural based barriers estimated at about 300 family members that result in these members of these families struggle to survive. To address this challenge a partnership was established in 2010 between Somali Community Self-Management Agency (SCSMA) and Salt Lake American and (Salaam) for Salaam to provide pro bono fee grant application and resulting award project management services for SCSMA to provide direct services to its community members as well as mentoring in organization management and development by Salaam to SCSMA.
Somali Refugee Community Members in Salt Lake County can call designated Refugee Services Facilitator for language interpretation translation and guidance at no cost to them for all vital daily life transactions in off hours for emergency services.
Assistance is provided to walk-ins in filing Online Applications for assistance where resources are available for employment, housing, and healthcare and other services.
Custom designed for refugee survival significantly challenged by language and cultural barriers functional English vital life transaction scenario-based lessons training. A significant element of this training is the acculturation familiarization and training provided to the refugee students with the American way of life such as encounters with traffic police, obtain deriver’s license, job application and interviews, obtaining medical care, low-income housing, conducting transactions at a financial institutions among others.
