about us

WWIRC volunteers help a community member apply for the state's Eviction and Rent Assistance program.

 

WWIRC connects our community members with culturally appropriate resources such as legal counsel, health services, food aid, and state programs that can offer them support regardless of their immigration status. We also offer ongoing moral and social support services. Our goal is to promote unity and harmony among all of Walla Walla’s residents and to foster a community free of violence and racism, where the basic needs of every single community member are fully met.

WWIRC is a highly diverse organization with members from different racial, ethnic, cultural, religious, socioeconomic, and professional backgrounds. What unites us is a commitment to ensuring the rights of immigrants.

What we do:
The work of WWIRC

Building a Welcoming Community

WWIRC champions the vision that immigrants make Walla Walla a stronger, richer, and safer place. 

We engage with law enforcement and local government leaders to promote pro-immigrant, pro-public safety policies.

We organize marches, vigils, and other public events to demonstrate solidarity with immigrant community members in times of crisis. 

We use the arts to promote empathy and understanding in our community. Our most recent accomplishment is The Listeners Project, a collaboration between WWIRC’s Colectivo de Arte Social, the Walla Walla Public Library and Whitman College and Northwest Archives. 

We maintain working relationships with allies and advocates in the immigrant rights space at the local, state, and national level.

Providing Targeted Social Services
for a Population with Unique Needs

We help connect people to local social service organizations and community partners that provide resources, healthcare and support to community members regardless of their immigration status or ability to pay.

We assist with outreach for Washington state programs and services that are either accessible to all community members or aim to service select marginalized populations within the community. 

We assist with COVID-19 vaccine equity efforts and other initiatives to address health disparities in our region. 

We provide low-barrier financial assistance from our own funds to assist with short-term emergency needs.

  • WWIRC members rally for a path to citizenship for all community members in downtown Walla Walla.

    WWIRC members rally for a path to citizenship for all community members in downtown Walla Walla.

  • Hard-working volunteers aerate the soil of our WWIRC Community Garden, which will yield its first crops in the spring of 2021!

    Hard-working volunteers aerate the soil of our WWIRC Community Garden, which will yield its first crops in the spring of 2021!

  • WWIRC members demand citizenship for all at the "Keep Your Promise" rally in downtown Walla Walla.

    WWIRC members demand citizenship for all at the "Keep Your Promise" rally in downtown Walla Walla.

  • "Your ancestors were immigrants too!" reads a handmade sign at the "Keep Your Promise" rally held in October of 2021.

    "Your ancestors were immigrants too!" reads a handmade sign at the "Keep Your Promise" rally held in October of 2021.

  • WWIRC member Guillermo Corro gives his presentation "The Search for Healing and Empathy in Our Community" at the launch of The Listeners Project at Walla Walla Public Library on August 5, 2021.

    WWIRC member Guillermo Corro gives his presentation "The Search for Healing and Empathy in Our Community" at the launch of The Listeners Project at Walla Walla Public Library on August 5, 2021.

  • A table display for The Listeners Project that shows the full kit required. The kit can be checked out from the Walla Walla Public Library!

    A table display for The Listeners Project that shows the full kit required. The kit can be checked out from the Walla Walla Public Library!

  • Colectivo de Arte Social chair Tia Kramer introduces Guillermo at The Listeners Project launch.

    Colectivo de Arte Social chair Tia Kramer introduces Guillermo at The Listeners Project launch.

Fighting for
Justice and Due Process

To discourage abuse and unlawful practices by immigration enforcement agencies, we provide citizen witnesses, education about legal rights, and frontline assistance to community members navigating the immigration system.

We operate a highly lauded emergency assistance hotline for community members that is always staffed with a bilingual operator. 

We reach hundreds of community members through our “Know Your Rights” trainings.

We provide accompaniments for community members to court hearings and ICE check-ins as a way of showing support and monitoring for immigrant rights abuses.