By Holly Bailey
RAI volunteer and Washington state resident
As a committed volunteer with Refugee Artisan Initiative (RAI) since February of 2024, I was very concerned after reading the article published by Northwest Asian Weekly on Jan. 23 as well as the letter from King County and Washington state elected leaders dated Jan. 9. The article and the letter narrowly focus on Ming-Ming Tung-Edelman’s departure from RAI without taking into account the professionalism, integrity, and diverse backgrounds of the current staff at RAI.
Over the last two years, I have regularly spent time at the RAI maker’s space in Lake City helping organize donated textiles, taking inventory, and leading management development workshops. I always walk away inspired by the creativity and curiosity of the staff. The drive to expand RAI’s capacity to work with more women is infectious and the team responds with enthusiasm to unexpected opportunities and challenges. The current staff brings professional knowledge and perspectives from all over the world and they care deeply about supporting refugee and immigrant women. The staff has a meaningful impact because they bring together expertise in fundraising, business development, manufacturing, workforce development, grants management, project management and non-profit administration.
RAI has evolved into a complex and multi-faceted organization that requires a strong team. To assume the loss of a single individual would cause RAI to flounder is short-sighted and discounts the adept and accomplished staff. Respectfully, I strongly suggest you engage your curiosity, widen your perspective, and gain a deeper understanding of the collective efforts that make the RAI a true gem of the community.
Leave a Reply