Offers free and confidential information, direct assistance and advocacy to individuals and families who speak Russian or Chinese languages and have limited English language skills. Helps people to navigate systems, find resources, learn about programs and connect to their community. Services include, but are not limited to the following: 
- Help with basic needs such as health care, food stamp, housing, financial security benefits, transportation, etc. 
- Sign up ESL and assistance in naturalization application
- Assistance with children’s school issues 
- Signing up for social and recreational activities 
- Child care resources and school system
– Informational and educational workshops 
All services provided are confidential.

Immigrant/Refugee Assistance offered at Chinese Information and Service Center in Bellevue

Offers free and confidential information, direct assistance and advocacy to individuals and families who speak Russian or Chinese languages and have limited English language skills.

Programs that provide information and guidance for tenants who need to know their rights and responsibilities regarding leases and rental agreements, deposits, legal eviction procedures, measures to protect themselves from unlawful or retaliatory evictions, rent withholding rights, rent control requirements, privacy rights and other issues that may be of particular interest to tenants. Tenant rights counseling may also include assistance in completing forms, advice regarding a particular dispute and contact with the offending landlord to provide notification that she or he is not in compliance with landlord/tenant laws.

Tenant Rights Information/Counseling

Programs that accompany people who are new to the country and may face language and other cultural barriers when establishing themselves, particularly during the first months following arrival. Escorts are generally volunteers with a shared ethnic background who provide assistance in key areas such as housing, employment and education as well as help with other necessities of daily living such as understanding the local public transit system, opening a bank account and learning the location of stores that sell familiar items.

Immigrant Accompaniment Programs

Government-appointed nonprofit organizations, frequently associated with the faith community, that provide resettlement services through a network of local affiliates for refugee populations designated by the U.S. Department of State. These organizations take the lead in helping newly arrived refugees or refugee families make an adjustment to their new home and community. Services provided by local affiliates may include reception for arriving refugees; provision of a "welcome kit" of immediate necessities; periodic visits with the family during the early days of their transition; collection and provision of household goods; cultural orientation and ESL classes; and assistance in locating housing and employment, using public transportation and identifying other needed services.

Refugee Resettlement Services

Programs that help people obtain, complete and/or file official forms, certificates, documents, applications or other paperwork that is required to apply for benefits or services, initiate or respond to legal action or to officially handle or document the occurrence of a transaction; that help people acquire copies of official documents on file elsewhere; or that review legal documentation an individual has received to help explain its meaning.

Certificates/Forms Assistance

Programs that help newly arrived immigrants and immigrant families make an adjustment to their new home and community. Services may include reception for arriving immigrants; provision of a "welcome kit" of immediate necessities and information; cultural orientation and ESL classes; and assistance in locating housing and employment, using public transportation and identifying other needed services.

Immigrant Resettlement Services

Programs developed and staffed by former refugees and immigrants that help newly arrived people from their previous country or region of residence begin a new life in the U.S. Mutual assistance associations address the unique cultural needs of the specific immigrant/refugee population they serve and provide a variety of services including cultural adjustment support, English language instruction, interpretation/translation services, housing and employment assistance, transportation, clothing and furniture, as needed, small business development assistance and help in accessing other social services.

Immigrant Mutual Assistance Associations

Programs that provide statewide and community-based services that are designed to improve the availability and quality of child care. These programs maintain lists of child care resources and link families who are in need of child care services with child care centers, licensed family child care homes and other organization-based providers; provide information that helps families become good consumers of child care services; recruit new child care providers to expand the availability of the service locally; provide training and technical assistance for providers; and collect and disseminate data which document the demand for child care services and the current availability of child care resources. Some programs may also make referrals to preschools and many provide referrals to children's play groups.

Child Care Provider Referrals

County or state offices that accept Food Stamp applications, determine eligibility for the Food Stamp program and allotments, and issue Food Stamp EBT cards which are presented at the grocery checkout counter when purchasing food. Certified households receive their EBT card and instructions for setting up a PIN number within 30 days of the date their application was filed. Expedited food stamps are available within seven days for people who are in an emergency situation and whose income and spendable resources for that month are within specified limits. Also included are other programs that help people prepare and file Food Stamp/SNAP applications and/or are authorized to do eligibility determinations for the program.

Food Stamps/SNAP Applications

Programs that assign a staff member to assist people who are looking for housing to survey the available residences and to choose and obtain the most suitable option.

Housing Search Assistance

Programs that provide advocacy and/or other forms of legal assistance for students, their families, advocates and others who have issues that have an impact on the learning environment in public and private educational institutions and affect the ability of students to attend and succeed in school. Specific issues may include school choice, student discipline and dismissal, search and seizure, privacy rights, freedom of expression, religion in schools, student testing, student achievement, promotion and retention policies, graduation requirements, student use of the Internet and other technologies, bullying on campus, student-to-student sexual harassment and school safety. General education advocacy relates to issues that have relevance for all students rather than focusing more narrowly on those related to special education.

General Education Advocacy

Programs that provide a wide variety of social services that are designed to support the healthy development of families, improve family interaction skills and help fragile families to resolve their problems at a pre-crisis stage before they become unmanageable.  Services may be center-based or provided on an outreach basis to families who are initially reluctant to seek support and generally target the specific needs of a particular community.  Included may be self-sufficiency programs which help families break the cycle of poverty by addressing the barriers to self-sufficiency; early child development and school success programs; programs which address the needs of teen parents; programs which target parents at risk for becoming abusive; programs for families with children who have special developmental needs and programs that focus on the maternal and child health care needs of first-time, expectant women whose babies are at high risk for low birth weight and infant mortality.

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Immigrant/Refugee Assistance offered at Chinese Information and Service Center in Bellevue