Focuses on the needs of African refugees and immigrants who are adjusting to life in the United States. Through its programs, the Ethiopian Community Development Council (ECDC) helps newcomers resettle in their communities, recover from past trauma, gain personal independence and economic self-sufficiency, and become productive members of society. A national resettlement agency, ECDC works through a network of community-based affiliations as well as public/private partnerships to assist individuals from not only Africa, but also Eastern Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean, the Near East, and Southeast Asia. Its web site describes ECD’s major programs: (1) resettling refugees, including offering financial incentives to become self-sufficient; (2) assisting newcomers by providing a variety of educational and social services; (3) promoting health education and offering health services; (4) helping microbusiness entrepreneurs, particularly minority- and women-owned businesses; (5) conducting public education outreach; (6) facilitating cultural understanding among newcomers and the mainstream community; (7) supporting institutions of higher learning in Ethiopia by donating books and other educational materials; and (8) working to preserve the cultural heritage of northern Ethiopia. The Web site also contains information about ECDC’s history and mission, staff, office locations, and affiliates as well as about employment and volunteer opportunities.
