"I came from where there was no opportunities. Me coming here really helped and has given me a platform to try to change my life, build myself as a person, and have a future.”
- Emmanuel, arrived from South Sudan in late 2023
Since 2001, the African Community Center (ACC) has supported over 14,000 refugees and immigrants as they rebuild safe, sustainable lives in Colorado. In a world where 1 in every 67 people is forcibly displaced, our work is more critical than ever. Last year, Colorado welcomed 3,116 refugees, most to the Denver area. We cannot let them face homelessness and hunger here.
ACC exists to be a welcoming center of multicultural exchange where newcomers find belonging and actively contribute to an inclusive society. We walk alongside them from their first day, providing not just initial resettlement, but the long-term support needed for true self-sufficiency. Emmanuel has since learned how to drive, ran in our Run for Refugees 5K, and joined a soccer league while he hopes to be reunited with his mother and sister.
While national priorities on refugee resettlement fluctuates, the needs of families who are already here remain. Our community members rely on us for up to five years. The most urgent need we face today is preventing a slide into crisis. A missed rent payment or an unexpected medical bill can unravel years of progress, dismantling efforts to build sustainability.
To address the most acute needs, our goal is to raise $50,000 by December 9 to provide emergency rental and food assistance. This fund is a proactive safety net, preventing homelessness and hunger so families can focus on learning English, securing stable employment, and integrating into our community.
Your contribution does more than just cover a month's rent or put a meal on the dinner table -- it provides the stability a family needs to finally breathe, to heal, and to build. You are not giving a handout; you are investing in the future of a person who will enrich our Colorado community.
Donating during the Colorado Gives statewide giving movement (November 1 - December 9) magnifies the impact of your gift.
Be a part of this critical effort.
to ensure that refugees in Colorado have the foundation they need to build a safe, sustainable life.
Helping refugees and immigrants rebuild safe, sustainable lives in Colorado.
ACC was established in May 2001 by our parent organization, the Ethiopian Community Development Council. Our vision is to be an integrative center of multicultural exchange where community members feel a sense of belonging and actively contribute to an inclusive society.
With a diverse staff and the help of faithful volunteers and interns, we conduct educational and social service programs that help newcomers rebuild their lives in their new community, navigate U.S. systems and cultures, achieve economic self-sufficiency, and become confident, thriving, integrated members of society.
ACC's Values:
Belonging: We foster security and trust by building welcoming and diverse communities based on relationships of reciprocity.
Empathy: We offer friendship, compassion, and understanding to individuals from all communities.
Imagination: We are committed to creative pursuits that exceed the status quo.
Integrity: We consistently exhibit honest and just actions that affirm our promises.
Organization name
ECDC African Community Center
other names
Ethiopian Community Development Council
1983
Category
Human Services
Organization Size
Large Organization
Address
925 S. Niagara Street, Suite 200Mailing
925 South Niagara Street, Suite 200Headquarters
901 S. Highland StreetDenver County, CO, US
VA, US