Asian Counseling and Referral Service helps clients attain the highest levels of self-sufficiency in Western society while maintaining their cultural identities. In most cases, clients are served by professional staff who speak the same language and come from the same culture. ACRS provides programs and services listed below in a culturally appropriate setting in order to improve the lives of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, whether immigrant, refugee or native-born.
We support Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) elders through multilingual, multicultural case management services, nurse consultation, food distribution programs, and Club Bamboo, a social and wellness center for seniors at ACRS.
ACRS Food Bank: We distribute nutritious foods like rice, tofu and fresh produce that meet the cultural and dietary needs of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders.
ACRS' Employment and Training programs help job-seekers find careers, and we connect employers with qualified-job seekers. Our services include English literacy classes, vocational skills training, job placement and retention services, and custom-designed workplace trainings for employers.
Our Citizenship and Immigration services program helps immigrants and refugees who want to become U.S. citizens navigate the naturalization process by offering English classes, citizenship examination preparation and more.
Our Civic Engagement program works to include the voices of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPI) in our democracy throughout Washington State. Our AAPI Democracy Initiative builds statewide capacity, fosters cross-generational leadership, and develops tools and skills within and across AAPI communities to promote long term, year-round participation and engagement on issues critical to their well-being and empowerment. We incorporate different languages and cultures in promoting the concept of “active citizenship” into the work of existing AAPI-serving agencies and programs, at community and cultural events, and in the safe places our communities know and trust.
