In response to the rise in violent crime and sudden death in the region, Mayor Bruce Harrell signed an executive order in February 2023 to enhance access to information and reduce barriers to supportive services for immigrant and refugee communities in the City of Seattle. As part of this effort, the City of Seattle Office of Immigrant and Refugee Affairs (OIRA) created the Immigrant Safety Access Network (ISAN) program to support immigrant and refugee families experiencing disproportionate harm from violence.
In April 2024, OIRA released a request for proposals process (RFP) to help fund community-based organizations to provide direct cash assistance to victims and families who have experienced violent crime and sudden, unnatural, and unexpected death.
ISAN’s overarching goals in the 2024-2025 program year are to:
- Provide immigrant and refugee victims of gun violence and their families and those impacted by sudden, unnatural, and unexpected death with access to financial support to cover relevant needed expenses.
- Help decrease the burden of the impacts of gun violence and sudden death on our immigrant and refugee communities.
- Offer support for navigating resources through partnerships with community-based organizations and the ISAN network.
Each funded organization received $66,000 for direct cash-based assistance and administrative support. Based on the recommendations of a review panel that included OIRA and King County staff, OIRA is pleased to announce the awardees below:
These three organizations will offer the following services:
- Do screening, intake, and administer cash assistance to immigrant and refugee individuals and their families.
- Provide in-language navigation services for cash assistance forms and referrals to in-house and external programs and services.
Program Contact:
Shilpa Salgar, Special Projects and Policy Specialist
Shilpa.Salgar@seattle.gov
