Kitsap Immigrant Assistance Center
Kitsap Immigrant Assistance Center
Warm greetings to you all!
It is very special to me to address and greet you at one of the most beautiful times of the year. KIAC has undergone many changes in 2022. After years marked by the COVID-19 pandemic, KIAC has had the opportunity to reimagine ways to continue providing our services. It may not have been an easy road, but it has been one filled with new experiences and blessings. KIAC has demonstrated that no matter the adversities and situations that arise, if we work together as a team, we can achieve success.
I am pleased to inform you that we completed the application process for the WA COVID-19 Immigrant Relief Fund. Our team completed 1,093 applications, putting an estimated 2.9 million dollars into the pockets of our immigrant neighbors. It was an exceptional job, with over 900 hours of work and 25 events hosted in Bremerton, Belfair, and Shelton. I want to recognize the efforts of our Family Services Director, Annika, and her contractor team comprised of Nanci, Oscar, Otto, Emiliana, Micaela, Maria, Juan, and Reyna. Excellent work! Outside of this project, our Family Services Team has been hard at work answering calls, meeting with clients, and connecting immigrants with resources. Thank you, Annika and Tracy for all you have done throughout this year.
KIAC’s Legal Services Director Larry Chin reported that last month, volunteers Bob and Shelley received their first partial accreditations from the Department of Justice, and Emily and Beverly successfully renewed their accreditations. KIAC’s volunteer Accredited Representatives perform much of the immigration legal work at KIAC. Without the willingness of the ARs and a few attorneys to volunteer, we would not be able to assist as many immigrants. We congratulate Larry, Alex, and their entire team of volunteers for all they’ve accomplished in 2022. We also excitedly announce that Jorge, KIAC’s Administrative Assistant, has joined the Legal Services team and will be working as our Legal Coordinator. Congratulations, Jorge!
Our Management Team is very busy with year-end closing and budgeting for 2023. We are looking forward to finalizing our plans for next year. We are pleased to announce that we have hired Nanci (our Lead WIRF Contractor) full-time for the Administrative Assistant/Front Desk position. Welcome, Nanci! We wish you much success. I would like to acknowledge the great work done by our Operations Manager, Graciela. Thank you very much for all your support and advice and for always being available to help us. I look forward to continuing to grow as a team and contribute to the success of KIAC together.
The Development and Marketing Team has also been hard at work, finishing up 2022 fundraising and working on planning for 2023. I would like to acknowledge the work done by Development & Marketing Director, Kimberly and Associate Dasha. Thank you for the energy, hard work, and effort you have put into achieving KIAC’s fundraising and communications goals.
Finally, I would like to express my gratitude for the effort and dedication that each team member puts into their work every day. I thank our Board of Directors for their guidance and the many ways they support KIAC’s work. It has been a good year for KIAC despite the ever-changing landscape. We have hope that 2023 will be one full of many blessings, and that we can continue to grow to meet the needs of those we serve. Thank you for your support of our work.
May you have a blessed holiday season.
Jayson Vega, Executive Director