People ask how things are going at B5 and often want to know if there is any work being done, now that no refugees are coming into our community. That would be a fair question if the only people B5 serves were new arrival refugees, but less than half of the people we support have been in our country five years or less. Some students have lived here as many as 20 years, but they’ve never been able to overcome the language and literacy barriers that hold them back. Others are new to our country, but not refugees, like the Ethiopian siblings who will be hosting our Ethiopian dinner at the end of the month. Immigrants, not refugees.

This past week, the B5 board updated the mission statement for our organization: B5 supports immigrant and refugee families as they overcome language, literacy, and cultural barriers so they can thrive.  We hope this more accurately describes who we serve and the work we do.  

There are significant reasons for emphasizing that we serve immigrant and refugee families:

  • It reminds us that the Tri-Cities is a global community. Have you noticed that? People from all over the world have made this their home for many different reasons. Everyone has a story, and you can learn some of them here at B5.

  • It reminds us that language, literacy, and cultural barriers can impact the whole family. We never want our students and family members to lose their native language, but we also know that communicating well in English is beneficial in the Tri-Cities.  

  • It reminds us that learning a new language, and becoming proficient in using it, takes time. This is especially true for our students who never learned to read in their native language. At B5, we believe that it’s never too late to learn.

While we are not seeing new refugee arrivals currently, we have waiting lists for people who want to get into classes. In February, 129 adults attended English classes; a similar number of children attended our afterschool program. In the year ahead, the federal funds that provide some support for our programs will dwindle. We will need donor support more than ever. If you haven’t done it yet, now would be a good time to become a monthly donor.