Nura moved to Puget Sound as an immigrant 24 years ago. She has developed deep relationships with the growing immigrant community on the Eastside and a commitment to supporting community members through financial, social, and personal hardships. Her desire to bridge cultural, systemic, and linguistic divides led her to found Adams Interpreting Services.

Nura has for years connected community members to valuable resources in the community and fundraised to support immigrants with daily living expenses. The Immigrant Women’s Community Center (IWCC) was born out of these passions.

The IWCC mission reflects Nura’s lifelong approach: to engage with empathy, serve with compassion, and preserve humanity.

Zarby Kakar and her mother came to Washington as refugees from Afghanistan in 1985. She understands what refugees to the United States experience and the difficulties they face. As a Washingtonian and an Immigrant Zarby is drawn to helping those in need. She wants them to feel welcomed and supported as she did.

Zarby stays connection to the local Afgan community by providing interpretation services in her native language, Pashto.

She connects Afghans with agencies and resources available in their communities. She is an advocate for women, making sure their voices are heard.

Zarby has a degree in Youth and Family services. She is passionate about her work with the Immigrant Women’s Community Center as the Refugee Support Coordinator.

Sana was born and raised in Kuwait. She studied business administration in Jordan, where her family eventually moved due to war in their home country. She eventually immigrated to the US, where she worked with refugee families as an interpreter and case manager for 8 years.

When Sana's 4 sons were young, she started working at a preschool as an assistant teacher. As her children grew older, Sana returned to work as an Arabic interpreter.

Sana is excited to have joined the IWCC team as a case manager and interpreter. Throughout her life she has enjoyed helping people in many different ways. She understands from experience how difficult leaving one's home can be, especially when it is due to conflict. She loves to help other women and their families feel empowered in their new home, and is excited to be part of such a compassionate, motivated team.

Sana enjoys spending time with family. There are many ways she likes to show people love and cooking is one of them. She also likes reading and camping.

I came from Pakistan over three decades ago but to this day I remember how it felt flying across the globe leaving my family behind, feeling totally lost.

I have been working with refugees for seven years now & even though how we left our homeland is different, I do understand how they feel coming so far with uncertain future.

It has been a privilege to work with immigrants/refugees from Iraq, Iran, Somalia, Syria, Philippines, Zimbabwe, Afghanistan etc. & to help them & hear their stories, their sheer determination to reach America in hopes of providing their families with a better future. They struggle here too but with enough resources & guidance, they are able to settle & build their own communities. Along the way I have made many friends in these families & stay in touch with them.

At IWCC my goal is to continue supporting & welcoming our families with compassion & dignity . I want them to know that they are not alone & IWCC community is going to take of them however we can.

I immigrated to the US with my family when I was 5 years old. I grew up in Seattle, where I learned from many amazing role models, many of whom were immigrant women.

Helping others and fostering connections have been two guiding principles in my life. As a young adult, I helped organize and lead a grassroots summer camp called Middle East Peace Camp, where children and teens could come together to learn about each other's cultures, peace, and social justice. For 5 years, I've worked as a teacher in ESL, Hebrew, and many other subjects.

As Program Coordinator, I help to organize and facilitate regular virtual events. I also develop new programs to meet the needs and interests of our community members. My favorite part of working at IWCC is the connections I make with community members.

I have a bachelor's degree in chemistry, and I am currently studying for a master's degree in public health (epidemiology). I hope to work as a researcher in the future, finding new ways to ensure the health of our diverse community. In my free time, I enjoy cooking, playing soccer, and exploring new areas in the city.

Kristen Jawad holds a Master’s degree in curriculum and instruction and has advanced training in compassionate communication, mediation, restorative practices, life coaching, traditional healing and spiritual care.

In 2005, Marshall Rosenberg inspired her to offer empathic accompaniment to people experiencing inter and intrapersonal conflict. She instantly recognized the value of listening for feelings and needs.

For two decades, she has shared effective ways to reduce harm and heal trauma — integrating brain, body, and mind. Kristen offers relationship-building practices to individuals, couples, families and organizations — creating better, stronger bonds driven by trust and appreciation for each other.

Clients seek her out for her calm presence, intuitive approach and gentle way of inspiring and evoking the best in others. In her free time, she walks in the woods near her home, enjoys a warm beverage or delights in creative projects.

Book an appointment with Kristen