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Whereas, The Bhutanese Community Association of Pittsburgh (BCAP) is comprised of vibrant and committed volunteers from the Bhutanese refugee population, who have come together in a spirit of friendship and mutual assistance to address the needs of their community, and;
Whereas, the like-minded group first came together in 2010 to discuss how to best help and support one another, following the suicide of a fellow Bhutanese refugee a mere 29-days after arriving in the United States, and;
Whereas, BCAP's mission soon evolved to ensure a high-quality of life for all members of the Bhutanese community in Pittsburgh and to support their integration into American society through culturally-informed services and activities, and;
Whereas, the organization has partnered with Jewish Family and Children's Services, Greater Pittsburgh Literacy Council, LifeSpan, and the Graduate School of Public and International Affairs at the University of Pittsburgh to provide valuable services like English as a second language (ESL) courses, civic education assistance, driver's education, family financial assistance, cultural programming, and community engagement opportunities, and;
Whereas, additional programs include community gardening to engage the elderly population, culture clubs that help families with children bridge the communication gap between generations, and career workshops for young adults and high school students, and;
Whereas, this year BCAP applied for and received a substantial grant from the Federal Government's Office of Refugee Resettlement, the majority of which will be used to secure a formal office and hire paid staff to focus on helping clients to address their day to day problems related to governmental and medical paperwork, housing, orientation and financial counseling, mental health counseling, job related issues, and more, and;
Whereas, BCAP seeks to create a vibrant Bhutanese community in Pittsburgh where all are enabled to reach t...
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