Bhutanese Community of Central Ohio
Every day, the BCCO provides vital direct services, education and hope
to the 28,000+ Bhutanese and other South Asian resettled refugee populations
in Central Ohio, and serves as a national model and resource.
Meeting the need: delivering essential services, programs and education every day to refugees & immigrants
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Being a refugee-led non-profit organization means the BCCO - and the broader refugee community it serves - consist mainly of people who have faced great personal trauma, displacement and loss throughout their lives. This shared experience continues to help the BCCO and refugee communities pull together during a crisis -- such as our rapid response to the COVID-19 pandemic and to violence directed toward immigrants, to help families displaced by job loss or tragic fires, and to be there to serve the growing number of Bhutanese and South Asian refugees migrating to Columbus, as well as other newly arriving refugees from other communities. The BCCO draws strength from this enduring sense of community in order to deliver essential, culturally appropriate services, programs, and education which benefit thousands of individuals every year, particularly those most at risk in Central Ohio. This work is also helping to lessen the burden on city and county services and resources, and bring greater racial and economic equity that benefits everyone in our community! With all of us working side by side, we can help refugees and immigrants move from survival to stability and on to success in Central Ohio. You can make this happen. Please support the BCCO with your gift today. |
When Mary visited BCCO with her father this past winter, Soma Thapa, BCCO case manager, gave her a mask to keep her safe. Mary pumped her fist with glee, taking on new superhero powers. You can now be a superhero too and create a bright future for Mary and many other refugees in Central Ohio. Please support BCCO’s vital work.
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"AS COLUMBUS CONTINUES TO WELCOME NEW RESIDENTS TO OUR CITY AND ASSURE THE SUCCESS OF CURRENT RESIDENTS, WE NEED COMMUNITY PARTNERS SUCH AS THE BCCO TO HELP US REACH EVERY PERSON IN NEED. BCCO HAS BEEN AN OUTSTANDING PARTNER AND WE ARE SO VERY PROUD OF OUR RELATIONSHIP."
— EMMANUEL V. REMY
COUNCILMEMBER, CITY OF COLUMBUS
BCCO's innovative programs helping vulnerable older Bhutanese and other New Americans improve their health and self-worth, become more engaged in our communities, and use their talents to generate income
A lively new yarn exchange in December 2022 during the BCCO group crocheting and wellness program for older Bhutanese Americans in Franklin County. The "Pathway to Wellness" program with partner Columbus Public Health combines the benefits of crocheting with mental health assessments and knowledge, and provides important socialization opportunities for individuals facing many barriers.
A group of older Bhutanese women enjoy the Franklin Park Botanical Gardens with Mani Biswa, BCCO outreach coordinator, in December. The visit is part of a innovative BCCO program supported by an AARP Community Challenge grant, which helps better connect older New Americans into society, immersing them in visits to Columbus Metropolitan Library, the Museum of Art, the Botanical Gardens and everyday experiences such as eating in a restaurant. One session teaches them how to use COTA services for transport.
Older Bhutanese refugees are often the most vulnerable and disconnected from our community because of language, mobility, income and cultural transition barriers. Participants loved the Botanical Gardens, which reminded them of the flora found in their village in Bhutan.
Older Bhutanese refugees are often the most vulnerable and disconnected from our community because of language, mobility, income and cultural transition barriers. Participants loved the Botanical Gardens, which reminded them of the flora found in their village in Bhutan.
Some of the participants in the first meeting and listening session of the HHS BCCO Refugee Agricultural Partnership Program (RAPP) in December 2022 at YMCA North, along with BCCO team members and partners. The BCCO RAPP helps re-connect vulnerable older Bhutanese Americans with their love of growing crops and gardening, as many of them were farmers in Southern Bhutan in the 1980s and 1990s until the King's ethnic cleansing persecution forced them to flee the country. In addition to language, loss of identity and self-worth, and cultural transition, another major barrier to successfully integrating into Central Ohio society is lack of opportunities to generate income.
The BCCO RAPP, working with our partners Central Ohio YMCA North, NAMI Franklin County, Ohio State University, and Community Montessori Columbus, addresses these challenges by providing land for groups of older New Americans to grow crops year-round, trainings to learn about nutrition, diet, and marketing and selling food products, opportunities for socialization and peer support, and ways to develop a healthy self-care approach to their lives.
A special planned feature of the BCCO Refugee Agricultural Partnership Program will be the development and launch of a unique New Americans Farmers Market at YMCA North, where they can sell the products they grow, earn income and build self-esteem.
The BCCO RAPP, working with our partners Central Ohio YMCA North, NAMI Franklin County, Ohio State University, and Community Montessori Columbus, addresses these challenges by providing land for groups of older New Americans to grow crops year-round, trainings to learn about nutrition, diet, and marketing and selling food products, opportunities for socialization and peer support, and ways to develop a healthy self-care approach to their lives.
A special planned feature of the BCCO Refugee Agricultural Partnership Program will be the development and launch of a unique New Americans Farmers Market at YMCA North, where they can sell the products they grow, earn income and build self-esteem.
BCCOs Mani Biswa conducts a mental health post-program survey with participants in the BCCO AARP program. Building mental health and resilience is a core goal of the project and BCCO’s overall mission. BCCO conducts pre- and post-project surveys with participants to gauge their mental health and wellness, and any changes. Survey results from the initial AARP Community Challenge project in 2022 showed an improvement in mental health status and confidence after the BCCO-AARP classes and community engagement activities.
BCCO Case Manager Soma Thapa leads a conversation about self-care, prevention and health with Bhutanese women in December 2022.
Bhutanese American women enjoy the camaraderie and support network they experience within BCCO programs.
An older Bhutanese American man reconnects with his love of farming in BCCO's refugee agricultural partnership program. Many older Bhutanese refugees in America were peaceful farmers in Bhutan before Bhutan's King Wangchuck embarked on a systematic ethnic cleansing campaign in the 1980s and 1990s to persecute and forcibly remove the predominantly Hindu Nepali Bhutanese population in Southern Bhutan, causing tens of thousands of women, men, children and elderly -- representing 20 percent of Bhutan's population -- to flee the country to try and survive. Thousands died during the persecution and the exodus to Nepal, particularly those who lived in the first makeshift refugee camps. Photos: Gary Snyder
KNOW THE 5 SIGNS OF EMOTIONAL SUFFERING & WELLBEING
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THE BCCO & THE U.S. SUBSTANCE ABUSE AND MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES ADMINISTRATION (SAMHSA), ALONG WITH OHIO MENTAL HEALTH & ADDICTION SERVICES, TEAMED UP TO CREATE THE FIVE SIGNS OF EMOTIONAL SUFFERING & WELLBEING …AVAILABLE IN NEPALI, ENGLISH AND OTHER LANGUAGES!
FOR FREE POSTERS AND OTHER HELPFUL RESOURCES ON THE 5 SIGNS & BETTER HEALTH, GO TO: HTTPS://GIVEANHOUR.ORG/CHANGEDIRECTION/TOOLS/# T0 ACCESS IN NEPALI LANGUAGE, GO TO 5 SIGNS NEPALI VERSION. |
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OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY, CDC & BCCO research studies show HEAVY MENTAL ILLNESS BURDENS BORNE BY BHUTANESE REFUGEES
A core goal for the BCCO centers on the great ever-present need for increased mental health services to support and stabilize our Bhutanese and South Asian refugee communities in Columbus. Several research studies conducted by the CDC, The Ohio State University College of Social Work and BCCO present a grim picture of the heavy mental illness burdens borne by Bhutanese refugees, which impacts all facets of their lives, including income stability, nutrition, self-esteem, sense of identity and contribution, community engagement and access to services, and physical health.
These recent findings have shown suicide and suicide ideation rates among Bhutanese Americans at more than double the rates of the general population in the U.S., and depression, trauma, PTSD and anxiety also at higher levels. These findings help inform the creation of critical, culturally appropriate case management, programming and outreach services at BCCO, but the increasing mental health needs in these refugee communities outstrip BCCO’s capacity and resources to fully tackle these challenges head on.
Please see the February 2022 Ohio State University College of Social Work Community Research Brief: “Mental Well-Being Among the Bhutanese Refugee Population,” which highlights a range of recent research studies about Bhutanese refugees’ high levels of mental illness, the barriers and the needs for assistance.
In addition, faculty from the OSU College of Social Work also led the New Americans Project, a comprehensive study of the human services landscape and issues in Central Ohio, and the key role ethnic community-based non-profit organizations like BCCO play in bridging the gaps between mainstream service providers and the large and growing New American communities in Central Ohio. The study showed the impact of refugee service providers like BCCO, but also revealed they have "limited resources and are faced with many challenges." Here are the key findings of the New Americans Project, and the Project's full report.
These recent findings have shown suicide and suicide ideation rates among Bhutanese Americans at more than double the rates of the general population in the U.S., and depression, trauma, PTSD and anxiety also at higher levels. These findings help inform the creation of critical, culturally appropriate case management, programming and outreach services at BCCO, but the increasing mental health needs in these refugee communities outstrip BCCO’s capacity and resources to fully tackle these challenges head on.
Please see the February 2022 Ohio State University College of Social Work Community Research Brief: “Mental Well-Being Among the Bhutanese Refugee Population,” which highlights a range of recent research studies about Bhutanese refugees’ high levels of mental illness, the barriers and the needs for assistance.
In addition, faculty from the OSU College of Social Work also led the New Americans Project, a comprehensive study of the human services landscape and issues in Central Ohio, and the key role ethnic community-based non-profit organizations like BCCO play in bridging the gaps between mainstream service providers and the large and growing New American communities in Central Ohio. The study showed the impact of refugee service providers like BCCO, but also revealed they have "limited resources and are faced with many challenges." Here are the key findings of the New Americans Project, and the Project's full report.
BCCO joins other Asian American Pacific Islander leaders at ohio statehouse to CAll for creation of resources for ohio AAPI communities
Left-Right, at the Ohio Statehouse in May: Dr. Yung-Chen Lu, Founder of the Columbus Asian Festival; Jona Hilari, PhD, Statewide Co-Director of Ohio Progressive Asian Women's Leadership (OPAWL); Angela C. Dawson, Executive Director, Ohio Commission on Minority Health; Manju Sankarapa, Executive Director, Ohio Asian American Health Coalition (OAAHC); Dr. Gregory Lam, Vice President of OAAHC; and Sudarshan Pyakurel, Executive Director of the BCCO.
BHUTANESE-AMERICAN community CALLs FOR ACTION
TO COMBAT RISING VIOLENT CRIME AND DEPLORABLE HOUSING CONDITIONS
COLUMBUS, Ohio -- The Bhutanese Community of Central Ohio (BCCO) is calling on the City of Columbus to take immediate action to combat the rising number of violent crimes and unsafe housing conditions found in neglected Northland area apartment complexes and neighborhoods.
The call to action stems from a violent home invasion, robbery and rape on January 10th of a 58-year-old recently resettled Bhutanese refugee woman living in the Commons at Victoria Village apartments in Columbus. Caseworkers and a board member from BCCO are supporting the victim and ensuring she has access to stable housing, safety, trauma and mental health services, and legal support. The attack follows several other violent criminal acts -- including armed robberies and a homicide -- over the past year against residents in the neighborhood, which houses many refugees and immigrants who have resettled in Northeast Columbus.
“This horrific incident with a Bhutanese refugee woman in her home has left the community and the neighborhood helpless,” said Sudarshan Pyakurel, executive director of the Bhutanese Community of Central Ohio. “She was receiving case management services through the BCCO’s Office of Refugee Resettlement program. She had spent 26 years in the UN refugee camp in Nepal prior to being resettled in the U.S. She was also getting support from us for her mental health needs and working towards her goal of finding employment and being self-sufficient.”
“This tragic incident has not only impacted the victim, but also the community as a whole,” Pyakurel said. “The newly resettled refugee families - and others - in the area are now very fearful and reaching out to BCCO for help and support. Sadly, this is not the first time this has happened in the same apartment complex. In 2020, a young man who happened to be a Bhutanese refugee was shot dead, and individuals have been robbed at gunpoint when they return home from work. However, this unfortunate incident could have been prevented had the apartment complex acted on neglected housing conditions, safety and security recommendations and pleas the BCCO has made several times over the past few years.”
According to Uma Acharya, a Columbus social worker and a board member of the BCCO, “this type of violence has increased over time, and the leasing management company has not done anything from their end to prevent the violence. We now need all Columbus stakeholders’ attention and action to bring social changes collaboratively and hold the landlord accountable for not taking action to maintain the security and safety of their tenants.”
Several hundred families are housed in the three main buildings of the complex. According to Pyakurel, “the main hallway doors are open and broken, anyone without a key can walk in anytime. That has welcomed ominous actors to take advantage of anyone who was vulnerable, disabled or folks returning home from work at odd late hours after working their shifts. We had requested the landlord to fix the door locks ASAP, but that sadly did not happen.”
The BCCO, which provides direct services to and represents the interests of the 27,000+ Bhutanese-Nepali American community in Central Ohio, now calls on the City of Columbus Councilmembers, Department of Public Safety and Police, Code Enforcement, Northland Neighborhood Commission, and all stakeholders who work with refugees and New Americans to join them, and take immediate action together to make these Columbus neighborhoods safe and secure for everyone, especially the most vulnerable recently resettled families. Specifically:
1) Educate vulnerable refugees/immigrants about safety and safety in and around their Columbus residences, and how it may be different from where they come from;
2) Work with the City, police, and resettlement agencies to ensure that the apartments in which the families are housed in meet all safety, security, environmental and city code requirements, and that violations are immediately and properly enforced;
3) Assess neighborhood security needs and establish around-the-clock security presence in the neighborhood and at these apartments, in addition to more frequent Columbus police presence. Also, efforts to build stronger police-neighbor trust need to be taken; and
4) The BCCO requests that the City of Columbus conducts a thorough investigation of the home invasion, robbery and rape case and the perpetrator(s) be brought to justice. If the perpetrators go unpunished, these types of cases will surely rise adding to the trauma the community has been burdened with.
“The Bhutanese Community of Central Ohio strongly urges the City and all refugee and immigrant stakeholders in Central Ohio to help us solve this social injustice and help us create a better neighborhood for refugees and immigrants in Central Ohio,” Pyakurel said. “These resettled refugees and immigrants help build a better economy and contribute greatly to Central Ohio through employment, creation of small businesses, home buying, and supporting local industries. It’s during this tragic time which we now reach back to the mainstream community for their support.”
The Bhutanese Community of Central Ohio (BCCO) is a community-based, 501(c)(3) non-profit founded in 2012. Every day, the BCCO provides direct services, education and hope to the newly resettled and secondary migration Bhutanese American refugee population in Central Ohio, which at more than 27,000 is the largest Bhutanese-Nepali community in the country. Many city, county, state agencies, organizations and businesses rely on the BCCO for its culturally appropriate expertise and leadership. The BCCO also serves as a national model and resource for other cities in Ohio and across the U.S. which serve refugee communities.
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The call to action stems from a violent home invasion, robbery and rape on January 10th of a 58-year-old recently resettled Bhutanese refugee woman living in the Commons at Victoria Village apartments in Columbus. Caseworkers and a board member from BCCO are supporting the victim and ensuring she has access to stable housing, safety, trauma and mental health services, and legal support. The attack follows several other violent criminal acts -- including armed robberies and a homicide -- over the past year against residents in the neighborhood, which houses many refugees and immigrants who have resettled in Northeast Columbus.
“This horrific incident with a Bhutanese refugee woman in her home has left the community and the neighborhood helpless,” said Sudarshan Pyakurel, executive director of the Bhutanese Community of Central Ohio. “She was receiving case management services through the BCCO’s Office of Refugee Resettlement program. She had spent 26 years in the UN refugee camp in Nepal prior to being resettled in the U.S. She was also getting support from us for her mental health needs and working towards her goal of finding employment and being self-sufficient.”
“This tragic incident has not only impacted the victim, but also the community as a whole,” Pyakurel said. “The newly resettled refugee families - and others - in the area are now very fearful and reaching out to BCCO for help and support. Sadly, this is not the first time this has happened in the same apartment complex. In 2020, a young man who happened to be a Bhutanese refugee was shot dead, and individuals have been robbed at gunpoint when they return home from work. However, this unfortunate incident could have been prevented had the apartment complex acted on neglected housing conditions, safety and security recommendations and pleas the BCCO has made several times over the past few years.”
According to Uma Acharya, a Columbus social worker and a board member of the BCCO, “this type of violence has increased over time, and the leasing management company has not done anything from their end to prevent the violence. We now need all Columbus stakeholders’ attention and action to bring social changes collaboratively and hold the landlord accountable for not taking action to maintain the security and safety of their tenants.”
Several hundred families are housed in the three main buildings of the complex. According to Pyakurel, “the main hallway doors are open and broken, anyone without a key can walk in anytime. That has welcomed ominous actors to take advantage of anyone who was vulnerable, disabled or folks returning home from work at odd late hours after working their shifts. We had requested the landlord to fix the door locks ASAP, but that sadly did not happen.”
The BCCO, which provides direct services to and represents the interests of the 27,000+ Bhutanese-Nepali American community in Central Ohio, now calls on the City of Columbus Councilmembers, Department of Public Safety and Police, Code Enforcement, Northland Neighborhood Commission, and all stakeholders who work with refugees and New Americans to join them, and take immediate action together to make these Columbus neighborhoods safe and secure for everyone, especially the most vulnerable recently resettled families. Specifically:
1) Educate vulnerable refugees/immigrants about safety and safety in and around their Columbus residences, and how it may be different from where they come from;
2) Work with the City, police, and resettlement agencies to ensure that the apartments in which the families are housed in meet all safety, security, environmental and city code requirements, and that violations are immediately and properly enforced;
3) Assess neighborhood security needs and establish around-the-clock security presence in the neighborhood and at these apartments, in addition to more frequent Columbus police presence. Also, efforts to build stronger police-neighbor trust need to be taken; and
4) The BCCO requests that the City of Columbus conducts a thorough investigation of the home invasion, robbery and rape case and the perpetrator(s) be brought to justice. If the perpetrators go unpunished, these types of cases will surely rise adding to the trauma the community has been burdened with.
“The Bhutanese Community of Central Ohio strongly urges the City and all refugee and immigrant stakeholders in Central Ohio to help us solve this social injustice and help us create a better neighborhood for refugees and immigrants in Central Ohio,” Pyakurel said. “These resettled refugees and immigrants help build a better economy and contribute greatly to Central Ohio through employment, creation of small businesses, home buying, and supporting local industries. It’s during this tragic time which we now reach back to the mainstream community for their support.”
The Bhutanese Community of Central Ohio (BCCO) is a community-based, 501(c)(3) non-profit founded in 2012. Every day, the BCCO provides direct services, education and hope to the newly resettled and secondary migration Bhutanese American refugee population in Central Ohio, which at more than 27,000 is the largest Bhutanese-Nepali community in the country. Many city, county, state agencies, organizations and businesses rely on the BCCO for its culturally appropriate expertise and leadership. The BCCO also serves as a national model and resource for other cities in Ohio and across the U.S. which serve refugee communities.
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The BCCO bravely responds to the covid-19 pandemic
BHUTANESE RESPONSE ASSISTANCE VOLUNTEER EFFORT (BRAVE)
COVID-19 response
The COVID-19 public health pandemic has hit low-income, minority communities with the greatest force. Perhaps no minority community is more vulnerable to the devastating effects of this deadly virus than refugees and immigrants, the majority of whom work paycheck to paycheck as laborers, struggle to navigate the health, education and social services systems even in non-pandemic times, and may not be receiving quality health care and COVID-19 prevention information due to language, literacy, and other barriers.
Given the Bhutanese Community of Central Ohio’s critical trusted role in serving this growing population, we knew we had to respond quickly and address this immediate health, social and economic emergency as it began to roar through our communities. In March 2020, we led a major effort to create the Bhutanese Response Assistance Volunteer Effort (BRAVE) response group led by our BCCO team, which has now become the go-to resource for families in need of COVID-19 screenings and testing, educational materials, PPE and other essential supplies, food, gas cards, medicine, and economic support in Columbus and Franklin County.
As the home base of the nation’s largest Bhutanese-Nepali refugee resettled population, the BCCO also has shared its knowledge and innovative response to the COVID-19 crisis here with other cities in Ohio and in the U.S. which serve Bhutanese refugee populations.
The BCCO's nationally recognized BRAVE COVID-19 response is making a difference and is serving hundreds of families in Columbus, Franklin County, Ohio and beyond.
Given the Bhutanese Community of Central Ohio’s critical trusted role in serving this growing population, we knew we had to respond quickly and address this immediate health, social and economic emergency as it began to roar through our communities. In March 2020, we led a major effort to create the Bhutanese Response Assistance Volunteer Effort (BRAVE) response group led by our BCCO team, which has now become the go-to resource for families in need of COVID-19 screenings and testing, educational materials, PPE and other essential supplies, food, gas cards, medicine, and economic support in Columbus and Franklin County.
As the home base of the nation’s largest Bhutanese-Nepali refugee resettled population, the BCCO also has shared its knowledge and innovative response to the COVID-19 crisis here with other cities in Ohio and in the U.S. which serve Bhutanese refugee populations.
The BCCO's nationally recognized BRAVE COVID-19 response is making a difference and is serving hundreds of families in Columbus, Franklin County, Ohio and beyond.
Below: Community individuals and businesses stepping up with critical donations to support the BCCO BRAVE COVID-19 response to hundreds of families in need.
Below: PPE distribution at the BCCO Center on August 26, 2020, combined with Census and Voting education information. More than 125 individuals from the community were provided masks, hand sanitizers, groceries, milk and educational materials.
MEDIA COVERAGE
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Above: One of the many home deliveries of food staples, medications, and PPE continuing to be made by BCCO BRAVE volunteers and staff in Central Ohio.
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The BCCO and BRAVE initiative continues to provide critical support and stability for families struggling to access quality culturally appropriate information and services on the spreading COVID-19 virus pandemic. Some media coverage of the BCCO as it works to combat the virus:
North Akron Immigrant Families Hit By Coronavirus Get Help from the BRAVE Project
National Public Radio - WKSU
BRAVE MTSU Women Helping Bhutanese-Nepali Community in Nashville
Middle Tennessee State University News
"COVID-19 has shown me how vulnerable we are."
Letters from Home: A personal reflection.
--Sudarshan Pyakurel, BCCO
National Public Radio - WOSU Columbus
North Akron Immigrant Families Hit By Coronavirus Get Help from the BRAVE Project
National Public Radio - WKSU
BRAVE MTSU Women Helping Bhutanese-Nepali Community in Nashville
Middle Tennessee State University News
"COVID-19 has shown me how vulnerable we are."
Letters from Home: A personal reflection.
--Sudarshan Pyakurel, BCCO
National Public Radio - WOSU Columbus
WE NEED YOUR HELP
Please consider supporting the important work of the Bhutanese Community of Central Ohio and also our BRAVE COVID-19 response project by making a one-time or ongoing tax-deductible donation. If you want to learn more about the BCCO and the BRAVE project, please click the button below. You may also use the ‘Donate’ button at the end of the page. Dhanyavad! (Thank you!)
Please consider supporting the important work of the Bhutanese Community of Central Ohio and also our BRAVE COVID-19 response project by making a one-time or ongoing tax-deductible donation. If you want to learn more about the BCCO and the BRAVE project, please click the button below. You may also use the ‘Donate’ button at the end of the page. Dhanyavad! (Thank you!)
OUR Community-centered ModelAs the trusted non-profit with a strong track record of serving the 27,000+ and growing Bhutanese and broader communities, we strive to be a ‘One-Stop-Shop’ for the community's needs and aspirations. Partnerships with groups like the Ohio Benefit Bank, Medicaid Managed Care Plan, ADAMH and many other public-private entities help address needs here at the community center and out in the community. We all grow stronger through partnerships!
The BCCO builds relationships with other communities through cultural exchange, language and learning, and through partnership building. The BCCO aspires to become part of the mainstream culture at the same time preserving its cultural values, language, and tradition. |
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Support our work!
"It is not about how much you do,
but how much love you put into what you do that counts."
-Mother Teresa
The Bhutanese Community of Central Ohio (BCCO) is a community-based non-profit organization founded in 2009. We became a 501(c)3 non-profit in 2012. We support community members with vital, culturally appropriate social services
and empower them through education and advocacy.
Your donation is tax-deductible, and most importantly, will make a real difference
in improving many lives in our community.
Thank you!
Make Our Community Stronger -- Donate Now!
