ACC’S HISTORY

African Community Center (ACC) is a branch office of the Ethiopian Community Development Council, Inc. ACC opened its doors in 2003 with only 79 refugees. It has now grown to a capacity of resettling up to 400 refugees. Today, ACC continues to develop programs that respond to the needs of newcomers to the Las Vegas metropolitan area. It also expands its reach into the mainstream community to increase awareness about refugees and other newcomers. The Ethiopian Community Development Council, Inc. (ECDC) was established in 1983 as a non-profit, tax-exempt 501(c) (3) community based organization to respond to the needs of a growing Ethiopian community in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area. ECDC is a National Voluntary Agency, authorized by the U.S. Department of the State, to resettle refugees. ECDC works locally, regionally, and nationally. ECDC’s program of public education seeks to increase awareness within the wide community in general and among mainstream organizations about issues of concern to the newcomer community in general and to African refugees and immigrants in particular. As a national voice, ECDC brings an African perspective to issues that affect African refugees here and in Africa. In 1991, ECDC inaugurated a national refugee resettlement program that operates through its branch offices and a network of African CBOs (Community Based Organizations) located across the United States. One of the branch offices is the African Community Center located in Las Vegas, Nevada.