SDC was founded by a group of Somali-Americans who originally came to the U.S. to obtain higher education.  In 1991, when a full-scale civil war started in Somalia, it forced millions of people to flee from the cities in Somalia into the neighboring states of Ethiopia and Kenya.  As a result, the United States government, through its refugee resettlement program, resettled thousands of Somalis in the U.S.

Nearly 5000 of these Somali refugees have been arriving in the Boston area to start new lives since 1992.  SDC was established by the aforementioned Somali American group to provide multiple services to the Somali newcomers, as there were few effective mainstream social service agencies working with Somalis at that time.

Mission

The main mission of SDC is to provide consistently excellent and accessible community services to all Somalis (and other African communities) in Boston, regardless of immigration status.  These services help Somalis (and other African communities) in Boston, to obtain the basic resources, services, information and skills needed to build productive and self-sufficient lives in a new land.  While strengthening the Somali community by promoting mutual assistance, cultural identity, and leadership, SDC fosters the ability of Somali individuals and families to advocate on their own behalf and participate constructively in the larger community.

Core SDC Programs

SDC pursues these goals through the following core programs:

• Access to benefits
• Housing: Search assistance, Advocacy, Interpretation and Translation
• Basic Adult Literacy
• Employment and Training: Post-Employment Vocational Skills Training
• Services for Somali Seniors
• Youth Programs: Saturday Tutoring & Enrichment Program, After-School/Home Safety Project and Mentorship Program
• Newcomer orientation and Acculturation Program
• Legal Assistance: Immigration, Welfare, Housing, Employment, Domestic Violence, and advocacy in courts
• Women’s health issues: Health Education, Health Care Access, Domestic Violence Prevention
• Resource and Information: Cable television program, community lectures, research, information and referral