Cham Community Center Project
BACKGROUND
CRC from its inception in 1982 have provided critical support and services to the Chams and other underserved communities in the Rainier Valley area of Seattle, WA. With limited financial resources and communal effort, the first property was purchased in 1991.
This was the starting block in creating a space for the community to gather, celebrate and support one another. It was also the foundation which helped the community envision and cement the importance and need of a community center and “village”. Over the next 30 years, the community continued to pool together their limited financial resources to acquire the neighboring properties as they became available.
Finally in 2014, the community acquired the 5th adjacent property. Now having site control of 1.14 acres, detailed planning for the future community center began.
PURPOSE
The Community Center project is a 12,000+ sq ft, multi-use facility where families, youth, elders and the community will gather and receive culturally and linguistically relevant programs and vital services. The community has grown and continues to grow so this bigger facility is needed in order to effectively address the increasing needs of this thriving community.
This Center will serve as a community-based hub where newly arrived immigrants, refugees, low-income families, are connected to services like housing, job placement, transportation, English classes and family and youth support programs. This holistic approach is critical for their success because navigating these systems is challenging and may cause families and individuals to lose out on vital services.
This will also help ensure the community remain resilient and continue to prosper in the face of disasters, climate change and displacement pressures.
Project Timeline