Evergreen Goodwill hosted a job and resource fair at its Bellingham location Friday, hoping to expand outreach to immigrants and refugees.
The Evergreen Goodwill of Northwest Washington consists of 24 retail stores, 30 donation sites, and five job training and education centers, one of which is at 1115 E Sunset Dr. in Bellingham.
Every time someone makes a purchase at Goodwill, the profit goes to the job training and education centers, where several free workforce readiness classes are available to anyone who enrolls.
Many immigrants and refugees are not properly connected to resources in the community. That, combined with a recent influx of refugees from Ukraine and Afghanistan, sparked the idea for the job and resource fair, said Norma Suarez, center manager for the Whatcom County Job Training and Education Center.
With the help of interpreters, Saurez spread the word about the job fair through local immigrant communities and spaces.
Local organizations like the YMCA, Bellingham Food Bank and the Opportunity Council attended the job fair. (Hailey Hoffman/Cascadia Daily News)
“Jobs change lives, and they need to be working in order to support themselves,” Suarez said of local immigrants and refugees.
Hanna Yakimovich, an immigrant from Belarus, enjoyed her time at the job training and education center so much she began volunteering there while she finishes her classes.
Yakimovich said that she, and other immigrants she met through the center, felt scared and alone when they first moved to America.
However, after taking English and customer service classes, she learned to communicate more easily and settled into the community. Yakimovich said the center even helped her navigate housing.
“I see the future in brighter colors now,” Yakimovich said.
Several organizations set up booths at Friday’s job fair, providing information on food assistance, obtaining citizenship and health care. Local employers such as Puget Sound Energy and Aramark set up in the hopes of connecting attendees with jobs.
Attendees could peruse around 20 booths at the job training and education center, which is attached to the Goodwill retail store.
“There’s no competition in nonprofit,” said Ryan Hodges, communication specialist for Evergreen Goodwill of Northwest Washington. “There’s wrap-around support.”
