Seattle

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The Seattle Division honors Mr. Mohamed Sheikh Hassan, founder of Afrique Service Center, for his work creating platforms that assist refugees in Washington to transition into American society.

After immigrating to the United States from Somalia in 1994, Mr. Hassan wasted no time in embracing the American culture by securing employment and has worked as both a community jobs coordinator and community relations coordinator. In 2010, he created the Afrique Service Center, a non-profit organization to assist refugees from East Africa with social service needs. The center provides information regarding family advocacy, gang and domestic violence intervention, cultural and educational awareness, tutoring, and job referral services. In addition, Afrique Service Center offers after school programs for children and provides nutritional meals for the elderly and disabled.

In 2013, the center was awarded a 13-month grant by the Excellent Schools Now Coalition to increase awareness and the capacity of English language learners so they can effectively advocate for their children’s education. Mr. Hassan said that his community has many single mothers, and the ability for them to learn about the state education system and have a voice to advocate for their own children is empowering.