Jimmy’s Story

Jimmy came to the U.S. on December 20th, 2024 from Bogota, Colombia. Leaving behind his mother, brother, and one-year-old daughter. After applying to the refugee program with the UNHCR, he endured the long wait to be accepted as a beneficiary.

When he was finally accepted, the Diocese of Olympia RRO was able to help him with resettlement. With their help, he received his social security, ID, health insurance and work permit. He received a lot of assistance with job applications, food cards, transportation cards, as well as cash assistance. Through the resettlement program, he was granted funds to be able to fulfill his obligations and responsibilities. The RRO was always there for support and guidance while he navigated through this big change in his life.

Jimmy now has his own business, bought his first vehicle, and attends North Seattle College to continue his education. His English skills have improved immensely thanks to the programs Diocese of Olympia offers. Now that he is employed, he can support his family back home. He continues to strive and work hard so he can be closer to reuniting with his daughter again.

Jimmy expresses major appreciation and gratitude to those that have helped him turning his dreams in to a reality. In his words: “I send special greetings to Greg Hope, Esmatullah Sultani, Karina Leonard, IOM, the state of Washington, and the United States, and to all the people who have been a part of my journey.”

Job Search Success Story

My name is Hormedys, and I'm from Venezuela. Venezuela is a great country, located in South America, with many riches of all kinds. I was born there, grew up, studied, married, and had two children. In Venezuela, I worked as a teacher for more than 20 years, until the day came when it was impossible to continue leading a normal life, a product of a dictatorial government that suffocated us and persecuted us for political reasons.

My husband, who also worked as a teacher, told me one day: "Let's go to Colombia." We began processing all the documents, selling some assets, and left for Colombia on January 5, 2017, leaving behind my oldest son for school, my father, and other relatives, leaving behind our projects and half of our lives. Colombia welcomed us very well for seven years. I obtained residency. I started several small businesses. I always dreamed of returning to Venezuela when the dictatorial regime ended, but the repression worsened every day, so we decided to apply for asylum in the United States.

In December 2023, we were approved for asylum. We arrived in this wonderful country on May 9, 2024. I was overjoyed; I couldn't believe it! A new beginning. Despite my advanced age, our spirit and desire to move forward didn't waver. I began looking for work, applying at various stores, restaurants, and supermarkets, with the support of wonderful people at the Refugee Resettlement Office, like Ms. Lavada Kindle, who has been with us from the beginning.

However, there was one barrier: the language. I didn't know English. I got a job in a hotel for a short time. This frustrated me a bit, but at the same time, it motivated me to study English. I enrolled in college and began exploring the fields of education and childcare. I learned about the Imagen Institute, an organization that trains people interested in working in this field and then places them with the Washington State Department of Children, Youth and Families (DCYF).

I began my training in January 2025 and completed it in March 2025, and everything changed for me immediately. I discovered a new phase in early childhood education, which I currently work in. I love my job of teaching, educating, and instilling life values in children. This way, I can give back to this great country for giving me the opportunity to live here with my family. Since I arrived in this beautiful country, I felt I should share my experience with others so they never give up on pursuing and fighting for their dreams.

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Me llamo Hormedys y soy de Venezuela. Venezuela es un gran país, ubicado en Sudamérica, con muchas riquezas de todo tipo. Allí nací, crecí, estudié, me casé y tuve dos hijos. En Venezuela ejercí mi profesión de maestra por más de 20 años, hasta que llegó un día en que fue imposible seguir llevando un ritmo de vida normal, producto de un gobierno dictatorial que nos asfixiaba y nos perseguía por motivos políticos.

Mi esposo, quien también trabajaba como maestro, me dijo un día: "Vámonos a Colombia". Empezamos a tramitar todos los documentos, a vender algunos bienes y partimos hacia Colombia el 5 de enero de 2017, dejando atrás a mi hijo mayor por motivos de estudios, a mi padre y a otros familiares, dejando atrás nuestros proyectos y la mitad de nuestras vidas. Colombia nos recibió muy bien durante 7 años. Obtuve la residencia. Solo comencé varios pequeños negocios. Siempre soñé con regresar a Venezuela cuando terminara el régimen dictatorial, pero la represión empeoraba cada día, así que decidimos solicitar asilo en Estados Unidos.

En diciembre de 2023, nos aprobaron el asilo. Llegamos a este maravilloso país el 9 de mayo de 2024. Estaba feliz; no podía creerlo. Un nuevo comienzo. A pesar de mi avanzada edad, nuestro ánimo y nuestras ganas de seguir adelante no flaquearon. Empecé a buscar trabajo, aplicando en varias tiendas, restaurantes y supermercados, con el apoyo de personas maravillosas de la Agencia de Reubicación, como la Sra. Lavada Kindle, que nos ha acompañado desde el principio.

Sin embargo, había una barrera: el idioma. No sabía inglés. Conseguí trabajo en un hotel por un corto tiempo. Esto me frustró un poco, pero al mismo tiempo me motivó a estudiar inglés. Me matriculé en la universidad y comencé a explorar los campos de la educación y la guardería. Conseguí información sobre el Instituto Imagen, una organización que capacita a personas interesadas en trabajar en este campo y luego las coloca en el Departamento de Niños, Jóvenes y Familias del Estado de Washington (DCYF).

Comencé mi capacitación en enero de 2025 y la terminé en marzo de 2025, y todo cambió para mí de inmediato. Descubrí una nueva etapa en la educación infantil, en la que trabajo actualmente. Me encanta mi trabajo de enseñar, educar e inculcar valores de vida en los niños. De esta manera, puedo retribuir a este gran país por haberme dado la oportunidad de vivir aquí con mi familia. Desde que llegué a este hermoso país, pensé que debía compartir mi experiencia con otros para que nunca desistan de perseguir y luchar por sus sueños.

Resettlement Success Story

One of our clients, Niloofar, resettled in Washington State with her family in 2023, after eight years of displacement. Originally from Iran, she and her family fled to Kayseri, Turkey in 2015, where they began the long process of acquiring refugee status from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).

Conditions for refugees in Turkey were poor and many faced scrutiny from the Turkish community. Niloofar described life in Turkey as, "feeling like a cage." Despite these hardships, Niloofar continued her education at Erciyes University and later at Dokuz Eylul University, where she began a degree in American Culture and Literature. Additionally, she took an active role in assisting newly arrived refugees – offering, guidance, language, and support to foster a growing community.

Many years and interviews later, her family obtained refugee status and were approved for the U.S. resettlement program. Upon arriving in Seattle, the family was welcomed by the Refugee Resettlement Office (RRO). Although her family felt confident in navigating life in a new country due to their experiences in Turkey, the early days in the United States were still challenging. With the help of the RRO, Niloofar and her family received housing assistance, social security numbers, food assistance, and job placement services.

In addition, the family enrolled in free ESL courses at Highline College, where Niloofar also later completed her Bachelors of Business Administration. She then found employment through an unexpected encounter. During her visit to a BECU branch, a staff member encouraged Niloofar to apply. Within three months of resettling in Washington, she was hired as a concierge at a BECU branch in Seattle. Thanks to her strong work ethic, soon after, she was promoted to Member Consultant II. She currently works directly with new members, many of whom are also immigrants or refugees. Her shared experience allows her to offer both empathy and invaluable guidance.

Niloofar remains involved in the refugee community through translating for Farsi-speaking clients and sharing her story with fellow refugees in Washington. Upon reflection, Niloofar says the most important thing her family had throughout their journey was hope. Hope gave meaning to the long, unpredictable years they spent in Turkey, where the future was unclear, and the wait for resettlement felt endless. She had dreamed of walking along the sandy beaches of Hawaii, a place she had only seen in pictures. That dream became a driving force of what was possible if she kept going. Years later, she stood on a beach in Hawaii and recognized how far hope had carried her.  We are incredibly proud to support clients like Niloofar as they contribute to their communities and begin a new chapter.