Community Spotlight: Somali Community Center

Did you know that Columbus, Ohio, is home to the second-largest community of Somali immigrants in the country? The high value this community places on academics, business entrepreneurship, and inclusiveness makes our city an ideal place to land during resettlement.

The Somali Community Association of Ohio is dedicated to making Somali settlement in the Columbus community as seamless as possible with comprehensive services and open arms.

Somali Resettlement Quick Facts

In recent years, more than one million Somali people have been forced out of their native country because of ongoing threats from war and near-famine conditions. This has caused a diaspora, a larger-scale and more rapid version of immigration.

Today, Columbus is home to many of these Somali refugees who are making their way through the resettlement process with the help of the Somali Community Association of Ohio.

Somali immigrants stimulate the Columbus economy with millions of dollars every year, playing an important role in the wellbeing of our local economy. Not only do they pump money into the economy, they also strengthen it with innovative entrepreneurial ideas and new businesses to be excited about.

About Somali Community Center

The Somali Community Association was founded to help displaced Somali nationals grow their own roots in a new and welcoming area and promote self-sufficiency in the community. They achieve this goal by providing support through employment, education, and cultural and social assistance.

The Somali Community Center also strives to spread awareness of resettlement and create a soft place to land in the community when they arrive. On their website, they highlight the inspiring stories of recent Somali immigrants and outline the process of receiving refugee status to educate members of the community and inspire hope to incoming refugees.

To ensure that their Somali heritage remains intact, this organization also provides the Somali Community Center. This beautiful center acts as a meeting place for Somali refugees where they can build relationships with each other and other members of the Columbus community. They hold regular events to engage with Columbus residents and bring a sense of normalcy.

Comprehensive Services & Programs

What started as a simple advocacy program in 1996 has quickly grown into a multi-faceted hub for services and resources. The Somali Community Association of Ohio provides a wide-ranging array of services, including:

• Planning & Support: job training, housing referrals, daycare programs
• Translation & Interpretation: ESL (English Second Language) Workshops and assistance with translating important health and legal documents
• Legal Advocacy: citizenship assistance, immigration & international law
• Youth & Elders Programs: social events, mentoring programs, hot meals
• Job Assistance: resume writing, business creation assistance, interview transportation