Our Story

The ECDC Multicultural Community Center (MCC) - Wausau is a branch office of the Ethiopian Community Development Council, Inc. We opened our doors in late 2021 with the goal of resettling 75 refugees, a goal that we far exceeded! ECDC MCC-Wausau continues to develop and refine programs to meet the needs of newcomers to Central Wisconsin. It also extends its reach to the general public in order to raise awareness about refugees and other newcomers.

ECDC was founded in 1983 as a non-profit, tax-exempt 501(c) (3) community-based organization to meet the needs of Washington, D.C.'s growing Ethiopian community. Since then ECDC has grown into a National Voluntary Agency authorized by the United States Department of State to resettle refugees. ECDC works on a local, regional, and national scale. Its public education program aims to raise awareness among the general public and mainstream organizations about issues of concern to the newcomer community in general. As a national voice, ECDC brings a global perspective to issues affecting refugees in the United States and around the world. ECDC established a nationwide refugee resettlement program in 1991, which operates through branch offices and a network throughout the United States. Wausau, Wisconsin is home to one of the Multicultural Community Center's branch offices.