The Ethnic Minorities of Burma Advocacy Resource Center (EMBARC) was founded in 2011 by and for ethnic people from Burma who have come to the United States as refugees. Seeking to serve the more than 1,000 refugees from Burma now living in Marshalltown – who come in search of employment options for people with limited knowledge of English, encompassing folks of multiple ethnic groups – the Marshalltown office has launched a series of cultural presentations as a way of educating the public on the context in which refugees leave their homelands and the ways the community can help them transition to their new lives in America.

As part of the initiative, members of EMBARC have gone into schools, businesses and talked to clubs and organizations, offering information on the conditions in Burma, facts about different ethnic groups and the barriers these people face in coming to a new country.

“We tailor-make these programs to fit the audience,” said Meghan Kodiaga of the local EMBARC office. “We have gone to a lot of churches and plan these talks regularly.”

Hayley Rauzi, the Marshalltown EMBARC program coordinator, said they have worked with groups that don’t necessarily deal with the refugee population but who have taken an interest in wanting to learn more about these people who are now living in the community.

“Some groups know they will work with refugees at some point in the future and want to take preventative measures in learning more about their needs,” Rauzi said. In addition to educating the general public on the lives of refugees, EMBARC has partnered with the Marshalltown Police Department to help locate translators and provide law enforcement with information on how to best serve the needs of refugees. Rauzi said the MPD has between 10 and 15 people at their disposal available for translation services in all the Burmese dialects, most recently acquiring a person who can speak Zomi. At a training session for local law enforcement, held Feb. 24, EMBARC will present officers and dispatchers with information on how to determine the dialect of the person(s) seeking the services of the police, especially in emergency situations when seconds count.

“We have seen issues in finding an interpreter for the right dialect and in using the translation hotline, so this type of education is important,” Rauzi added.

On March 25, EMBARC and the MPD will offer a community panel discussion on the role of the police in the community and will take questions from attendees, particularly dealing with U.S. laws. A location for the event has yet to be decided.

EMBARC holds meetings at its office, located at 705 S. Center St., whereby refugees from Burma can learn about ways to better avail themselves to services. EMBARC explains to refugees how they can apply for Medicaid and SNAP benefits as well as apply for jobs and enroll children in school. Another topic EMBARC has seen as important to the refugee community is understanding finances. The organization offers classes on how to open bank accounts, understand credit cards, fill out tax forms and apply for loans.

“Clients come into our office, often requesting services that require more individualized attention than EMBARC can address,” Rauzi said. “In order to meet the needs of our refugee clients from Burma who face tremendous language and cultural barriers, we are starting a mentorship program.”

EMBARC is seeking volunteers in the following areas: mentoring a RefugeeRISE AmeriCorps Member, volunteering in the EMBARC office, providing transportation services, assisting a potential/current MCC student with tutoring and financial aid resources, meet with a current EMBARC client one to four times a month, community outreach and communications/marketing and administrative opportunities within the organization. To learn more, contact EMBARC at 641-352-5062 or hayley@embarciowa.org. Volunteer inquiries can be directed to volunteer@embarciowa.org.

—-

Contact Sara Jordan-Heintz at 641-753-6611 or sjordan@timesrepublican.com