Their Programs are run by volunteers, 100%.

They are member of Protect Act Public Law and conduct FBI background check and fingerprinting for their volunteers to protect their consumers.

Since the program was created in 2004, service demands have significantly increased.

Because of these needs, they are looking for funds to continue the program and accept new participants:

1) They need to lease a resource center to conduct our tutoring and workshops.

They have been using public facilities for the past three years.

The problem is two folds: cost to rent them in Montgomery County, MD, has increased by 150% in 2006 and another problem is that you cannot schedule programs for more than three months.

This is a huge problem which we are sharing with county officials.

To avoid these problems and continue reliable services, they need funds to lease a facility for at least one year, so they can develop a sustainable plan to pay it in the future.

They don t need too much, just a room that can hold 60 people with one bathroom.

They have the potential to serve about 240 people, mostly children and unemployed women.

2) Because we rely 100% on volunteers, they need to hire a part-time volunteer coordinator.

3) Funds to support their annual community outreach and health event to provide health screening and counseling, and to expose recent refugees opportunities in their communities.

Further descriptions of their services which are not funded are as follows:

Student Program

- provides academic enrichment, college preparatory and career awareness workshops for students.

Adult Program

- targets underemployed and unemployed adults, particularly women, by providing job training and development, and GED preparation sessions.

Language Assistance Services

SACA volunteers have accompanied parents to juvenile courts, parent-teacher meetings and back to school nights by acting as translators and/or interpreters, while also providing a needed emotional support.

SACA is a member of the Montgomery County Volunteer Center s Language Bank to help translate and/or interpret for Montgomery County government agencies and non-profit organizations serving Somalis with limited English proficiency.

Health Promotion & EducationThe Health Promotion and Education program is designed to improve health behavior (including health seeking behavior) and healthy lifestyle of our target population.

SACA provides nutrition education, blood pressure screening, and tobacco cessation and prevention (including the prevention of Environmental Tobacco Smoke).

Information and Referral Services

They refer their target population to health and social services programs, including safety-net providers, to alleviate their needs.

Since 2004, their annual public awareness and outreach event attracted over 200 children and adults, and was covered by the Washington Post.

This was also an opportunity to learn community programs regarding information about free and reduced health services, and youth development programs - after school and recreation programs.

Their programs are designated to meet the fundamental needs of our target population.

By promoting healthy lifestyle, providing tutoring, mentoring, conflict resolution and academic enrichment workshops, and youth leadership skills, their organization is improving students? academic and career outcomes, healthy choices, and preventing risky behaviors - violence, school drop out, and juvenile delinquency.

SACA also provides job training and development skills, and GED preparation sessions to underemployed and unemployed adults, particularly women.