In Downtown Harrisonburg, one block away from court square, is the New Bridges Immigrant Resource Center.
Founded from a group of Mennonite Churches concerned about the increasing cultural diversity of the valley, the center has been a center of immigrant culture and engagement, helping them find their way here in the valley since being founded in 2000. They work to help immigrants in a variety of ways, ranging from providing services and resources in a wide variety of languages to cultural events that help global engagement.
For all the work they provide, all their services are completely free. They are entirely dependent on donations and volunteers to keep the center going and to help host events that the center hosts.
The events they host are both for the general welfare of the immigrants in the valley and for the continuation of the center. Their main fundraiser is the Taste of the World, a fundraising event that invites various local businesses and community members to come participate in a global engagement event. They also are the one of the main organizers of the Harrisonburg International Festival, an event held in the fall to celebrate the cultural diversity in the valley.
They provide a wide variety of services ranging from Immigration documentation to financial support to education. These services help them getting settled into their new lives here in the valley. In addition to their services, they also have many resources available, including an interactive map of Harrisonburg and links to Virginia Immigrant resources and Healthcare directories. These resources provide additional information for the services and provide context to things mentioned in the services, with the map helping them navigate around the city.
Their resources come in two languages: English and Spanish. They also have a flyer explaining the center in Arabic
A full list of their services, resources, and events can be found on their website, along with a donation link if you would like to donate to help the center.