YWCA Tulsa announced the opening of a new South Tulsa location.

This location will help to provide case management, employment services, and other resources to Tulsa's immigrant and refugee community, including over 875 Afghan refugees who relocated to Tulsa in the fall of 2021.

The new office will be located inside the Riverbridge Office Park at 1323 East 71st Street.

YWCA acts as the refugee support services for the eastern half of Oklahoma and has been tasked with providing employment placement and support, interpretation and translation services, English language classes, and general support to Afghan families.

Since refugees arrived in Tulsa, YWCA has hired 14 new immigrant and refugee services employees, including one new refugee program manager, one transportation coordinator, 10 caseworkers, and two staff interpreters to fulfil the needs of Afghan families and connect them to necessary community resources.

The south Tulsa location of YWCA will supply newcomers with resources close to home and allow agency the needed space to grow and continue providing important services to immigrant and refugee families.

"YWCA is excited to expand into South Tulsa, an area where we know many refugee and immigrant families call home,” YWCA Tulsa CEO Julie Davis said. “We know that transportation can be a huge limitation in families receiving YWCA resources, so we are looking forward to providing more access to our services by being closer in proximity to the people we serve."

YWCA also announced its first English as a second language course created for Afghan families starting in late August.

The program will feature one course for men and one for women, working to eliminate language barriers for evacuee families.

Additional information and dates will be announced within the next days.

Those interested in the ESL class should contact 918-858-2412 to register.