From 1996 to Now: the History of the IWCC

We are thrilled that we can finally officially unfurl this beautiful work that has been happening over the past two decades in our community and give it a name.

The fact that this organization is founded by women and is for women and their families is unique in itself and the fact that the women who founded this organization are an interfaith group of women is also unique. Together we are finding healing in a way that encourages compassion and empathy and creates a safe space for all of us. To understand what has led us to this point, we would like to share our origin story with you.

It all started back in 1996, in Kirkland, Washington. Nura Adam had recently moved to the state and had befriended a couple other immigrant women. Over coffee they shared with one another about their lives and experiences, and the cultural gaps and hurdles they faced in their new country. These women went from working as doctors, social workers, and other professions in their native countries to working multiple minimum wage jobs in the U.S. in order to make ends meet for their families. They bonded over discussions about the stresses of what felt like restarting their lives from scratch. Nura’s friends were struggling so much financially but did not feel comfortable asking for help. Nura knew she had to do something!

Through the mosque she attended, she formed a supportive network of friends. Nura reached out to members of the community, sharing the stories of these women and collected some funds to support their rent and utility costs for a few months. It wasn’t a grandiose fortune by any means but it was enough to support the women through a challenging time. Through this assistance and their endless hard work, these women and their families were able to gain stability. The experience touched Nura deeply. 

As she continued to put down roots here in King County, Nura met more and more women in similar financially dire situations. Each time she was able to go back to her growing community and do what was necessary to support them. Sometimes neighbors are going through incredibly difficult situations and we are not aware of these hardships until we have built that trust to open the door to vulnerability! Nura and her network raised money for a neighbor of Nura’s who had undergone a major surgery and was staying with a rotation of friends, experiencing homelessness during recovery. The fundraisers continued. 

This process of relying on the same group of people for fundraiser after fundraiser for the past 24 years has become extremely difficult. As Nura’s community connects her at an increasing rate with various people in need-and not just financial need but also around issues such as domestic violence and mental health-it has become unsustainable for Nura to try to coordinate resources all on her own while also managing her interpreting agency.

So about five years ago she started dreaming of an organization that helps create a space for all.

This space would especially serve immigrants who are new to the state and experiencing hardships during their transition and who are having hard times going to spaces where they can access help. 

So Nura shared this idea with some friends from her interfaith community who helped her expand her pool of volunteers-whether it be taking somebody to an appointment, helping financially, or otherwise. She was able to invite the very same women in the community who were helping her through this journey to form a board for an organization that served these needs in a higher capacity. They all jumped at this opportunity! They were so excited to be part of this organization that will positively impact immigrant women and their families. Furthermore, it is important to have a peacebuilding space that offers mediation solutions and healing circles for all communities. 

Nura realized that there is not a great lack of organizations that are doing amazing work in community, but what she has learned is that people are not necessarily connected to those resources and also that people don’t have a restorative space where they can just breathe and feel that they belong.  People are searching for a space free of judgement where they do not have to worry about anything different than who they are. 

With her group of friends over the past 24 years they have been able to foster that nurturing, healing space in small groups, but it has been lacking in the bigger picture. For that reason they have made sure to incorporate dedicated healing and peacebuilding practices into our organization. 

If you are an immigrant woman and you are having a hard time connecting or feeling that you belong, this group is here in Washington to welcome you with open arms and make sure that you know that you have a community that is here to partner with you as you reach your full potential. 

You can be part of this community and the community welcomes you also to give back to other people who are starting the journey that you may have already completed. We hope that this is a space that gives everyone a purpose. Here you can be yourself and you have permission to make mistakes. You will be heard and received with compassion and empathy. We are interested in learning about your journey and partnering with you just as we hope you are interested in our journey and partnering with us. We are so excited to be opening up to the public and welcoming everyone to the Immigrant Women’s Community Center!