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 November 2021 with the goal of resettling 75 refugees, a goal that we far exceeded! We have now resettled over 400 refugees throughout the Wausau and Stevens Point communities; the majority of which, continue to live, work and play in Central Wisconsin! We receive new client referrals from many countries/cultures, including but not limited to; Afghanistan, Democratic Republic of Congo / Republic of Congo, Rohingyan/Burma/Myanmar, Syria, Iraq, Nicaragua, Venezuela, Guatemala, Central Africa, Burundi, Somalia, Ukraine, and more! ECDC MCC-Wausau partners with many local non-profit, social service organizations, stakeholders and volunteers throughout Wausau and Stevens Point, and we truly couldn’t do what we do without our incredible resettlement community. We are always continuing to develop and refine our programs, as well as raise general public awareness about our work, in order to effectively meet the quickly changing needs of newcomers to Central Wisconsin.

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. Headquartered in Arlington, VA, ECDC operates throughout a network of 8 branch and 16 affiliate offices across eighteen different States. ECDC Wausau is proud to be an official branch site of ECDC MCC and currently serves as the only Wisconsin location.