WHAT WE DO

Built around what our community can share with one another.

ECMAA organizes cultural, recreational and educational activities while drawing on the knowledge, skills and resources within our community.

Our work ranges from community gatherings and cultural programs to resource sharing, workshops, professional connections and opportunities to volunteer and lead.

ONE COMMUNITY, MANY EXPERIENCES

Our community includes people at different stages of life.

Newcomers building lives in the New York City metropolitan area. Families raising children. Students and young professionals finding their footing. Established professionals sharing what they know. Elders carrying decades of experience and history.

People come to ECMAA looking for different things: friendship and community, useful information, professional connections, ways to volunteer, or a stronger connection to Ethiopian language, culture and history.

ECMAA creates ways for these experiences to meet—so that what one person knows, has experienced or can offer can strengthen someone else.

Active Membership

More ways to participate in ECMAA.

ECMAA's membership is more than a mailing list. Members, volunteers and community participants help organize programs, share expertise and sustain the Association.

We are working to make participation more consistent throughout the year through membership, volunteering, community gatherings and clearer opportunities to take on leadership.

In practice: annual membership drives, a community town hall, volunteer opportunities, member and volunteer recognition, recreational and social gatherings, and participation in partner and diaspora events.

Become a Member ↗

Share Resources

Make useful information easier to find.

ECMAA helps connect community members with information, existing services and people with relevant expertise.

Our resource work focuses particularly on practical needs such as immigration, housing, health and wellness, education, employment and family support. This includes building relationships with service organizations and professionals who can provide specialized assistance.

In practice: community resource information, referrals, educational and wellness workshops, community needs surveys, service-provider partnerships, mutual aid and a developing Community Resources Hub.

Find Community Resources ↗

Create Opportunities

Learn from the people around you.

ECMAA uses the experience and networks within our community to support educational, professional and leadership development.

Programs can connect students, professionals, families and emerging leaders with practical knowledge, mentors and one another. We also create social spaces where relationships can develop outside of formal professional settings.

In practice: professional networking and career panels, mentorship, resume and college-preparation workshops, language learning, job and internship sharing, youth and family programs, and social, sports and wellness activities.

Promote Heritage

Keep culture practiced, documented and shared.

ECMAA creates opportunities to experience Ethiopian language, history, traditions and creative expression across generations.

That means celebrating together, but also documenting community history and creating spaces where people can learn about Ethiopian culture. We aim to connect elders, families and younger generations while giving Ethiopian artists, educators and storytellers greater visibility.

In practice: cultural celebrations and commemorations, Amharic and language learning, lectures and discussions, book and film programs, community storytelling, historical archives, and partnerships with cultural and educational institutions.

OUR DIRECTION

Building an Association that can keep doing the work.

ECMAA's five-year direction is not only about adding more programs. It is also about strengthening the membership, partnerships and organizational systems that allow good programs to continue as volunteers and leaders change.

That means listening to community feedback, working with organizations that bring additional expertise, and building a stronger foundation for the Association's long-term work.

See Upcoming Events ↗ See ECMAA in the Community ↗