Published July 2001

Agencies, businesses join forces to create ‘Key Links’

By John Wolcott
Herald Business Journal Editor

Washington is the fourth most popular destination state for refugees and immigrants, and Snohomish County is home to about 25 percent of those new residents, many of whom speak little or no English when they arrive.

Within the next five years, according to state government population projections, there will be 45 different languages represented in the county.

To help new foreign arrivals learn about their community, how to catch a bus, open a bank account and use a telephone, Community Transit and several Snohomish County businesses have created the latest edition of a free multi-lingual “Key Links Community Access Guide.”

The 476-page book publishes information about the county in 13 languages, including English, Arabic, Cambodian, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Laotian, Srpski (Serbian/Bosnian/Croatian), Spanish, Ukrainian and Vietnamese.

Topics include how to find housing, employment services, English-as-a-second-language classes, emergency information, medical resources and how to get telephone and utility services.

The books are available from Community Transit and some of the project partners. Volunteer Julie Wallace and Michael Ford, with Community Transit, have overseen the guide’s publication for the past four years. Grant money and local businesses have paid for the cost of the $85,000 publication.

Core partners in the project included Community Transit, Boeing, Everett Transit and United Way of Snohomish County. The list of community partners who helped make the project a success includes the Snohomish County PUD, Snohomish County Housing Authority, Edmonds Community College, Horizon Bank, the city of Everett, Community Health Center of Snohomish County and Puget Sound Energy.

Other partners included Verizon, the U.S. Department of Transportation, Everett Community College, Mukilteo School District, Sno-Isle Regional Library System, the Snohomish County Department of Emergency Management and the Refugee & Immigrant Forum of Snohomish County.

Distribution of the book is through libraries, post offices, restaurants and stores in the county.

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