$1M Kennewick learning center to help teach hundreds of Tri-Cities refugees

Congolese refugee, Edward Nzinga, is one of the people that B5 Community Learning Center in Kennewick has supported and helped through education and adjusting to the cultural change.

After years of teaching out of apartments, the organization is now getting its own space.

Nzinga has been in the B5 program since 2016 when he arrived in the United States at the age of 14. One of his struggles was with math but found help in B5 after school programs.

“It helped me a lot because not only would I get extra lessons for stuff that I didn’t understand in school, I would also get help in the real world. It was like having a second parent,” Nzinga said. “They encourage us to live a very educational life … a lot of our parents didn’t have that opportunity.”

Eh Moo Doh, 21, is a refugee from Thailand and he said B5 was like “Another school.”

“I went there everyday to get help with my math, reading, and get my English better,” Doh said.

The organization started in apartment B5, a two bedroom unit in Kennewick’s resettlement housing. It then expanded to the apartment next door and has been serving refugees and the community for 14 years.

Theresa Roosendaal, the executive director and founder, started organizing classes when the first refugee family from the Karen People of Burma came to Kennewick and joined her church, Family of Faith.

As a mentor to the refugee family, Roosendaal got her church involved and eventually partnered with local school districts when she saw an unmet need for education. They help get children enrolled in school and provide tutoring.

They are currently supporting refugees from Ukraine, Sudan, Syria, Afghanistan, Congo, Myanmar, and other countries. They’ve also expanded to Spanish-speaking people and those receiving DSHS support in the community that would like to improve their English.

Some of the services being provided are citizenship preparation classes once a week, English classes four times a week for three hours, reading classes, programs and events for kids, and another English class for women Afghan refugees that can’t be in class with men.

“The mentorship they provide to the kids, and the help, really goes a long way,” Nzinga said.

Roosendaal said that learning English is important for them because language is a barrier to building community, career and helps in daily life with activities like shopping. Over 100 people are currently enrolled in their programs.

Continuing support

To continue to support refugees and community members, B5 is getting a bigger space as the two bedroom apartments were becoming too tight to move around in. The new building is expected to be three times bigger than their current space.

For the past two years, the organization has been raising funds to build their own facility and have now achieved 90% of their goal with just $200,000 left to raise.

Around 150 people came together for the ceremonial groundbreaking for the new building which is set to be completed by Spring 2024.

The new building will allow them to host bigger events like community meetings or dinners.

“We think that sharing food with the Tri-Cities will be an important thing to do to help build a sense of belonging and community,” said Chuck Henager, President, B5 Board of Directors.

The groundbreaking was in a 10-block area where refugees have recently settled. Roosendaal said the building will provide for a place that feels like it belongs to them, and will be an opportunity for cultural exchange.

“They encourage us to keep our culture embedded in us even though we’re learning a new culture here. They let us know it’s important to know both cultures,” Nzinga said.

Refugees are connected to B5 through their close relations with World Relief, DSHS referral to the program, and recommendation from friends in the residential area that have gone through the program.

“They see a need, and they meet a need ... when we have our own building, we’ll be able to better accommodate.” said family support specialist of B5, Tera Allen

Donations can be sent through their website or mailed. These donations go toward their work as there are always more needs than funding, and other administrative costs. B5 is always looking for volunteers wanting to learn more about different cultures.