Our Middle School Afterschool Program began in September, with funding from the City of Columbus. Students are spending time doing homework while honing math and English skills. They also take some time to play games and do sports.

Currently we have 10 students enrolled and are looking to add more. Please share and send referrals. Contact Bhakta Giri with questions or to enroll: [email protected] or 614-649-3089.

Give a warm welcome to BCCO’s newest staff, Kamal Adhikari. Kamal will be coordinating our garden and farm programs. He brings 10 years of experience and comes to us from Seattle where he was a farm coordinator for IRC Seattle. He educated farmers on production and marketing technical assistance, as well as sustainable production practices.

Kamal has already hit the ground running, getting to know current programs, and planning the future of BCCO’s garden and farm programs. He hopes to have a diverse group of participants and has been reaching out to multiple agencies working in the food systems space.

Currently the program is under federal RAPP funding. This helps newly arrived refugee families to get a community garden plot and grow culturally relevant greens during the spring and summer months and to get nonperishable pantry items during off season. BCCO provides basic to advanced level of services, including farming workshop sessions.

Contact Kamal at [email protected] or 614-702-1598

Thank you! Thank you! We are so grateful for each and every one of you who supported Unity in Light through attending and donating. It was a wonderful evening of unity and community.

It’s not too late to donate! https://givebutter.com/bcco

Click here to watch a video of a fun dance time following the program! Here are just a few photos from the event.

Thank you to our hosts at the Jefferson Country Club for taking good care of us and preparing a delicious vegetarian meal.

Thank you to our emcee, Dipisha KC, and all of our amazing volunteers!

Congratulations to all our award winners.

Huge thank you to our generous sponsors! Check them out on our event page

We look forward to doing it again in 2025! Hope to see you there!

BCCO has published its 2023 Annual Report. The report details accomplishments made throughout the year. The include:

• We served 136 families with rental assistance
• We hosted the Youth Mental Health Conference
• The TANF Summer Youth Employment Program supported six high school interns.
• The Bhutan Memory Podcast engaged four high school and college students with the oral history of the older generation
• Visit from music expert Karma Bomzan

Download the Report

Save the date and buy your tickets now! The Unity in Light Dashain-Tihar Fundraiser is being held at the Jefferson Country Club in Blacklick on October 24. It includes a Nepali Asian Fusion vegetarian meal, BCCO programming and entertainment, a cash bar and many more surprises! Tickets and sponsorships are available at https://bccoh.org/unityinlight2024/

BCCO is launching its first afterschool program. The program will serve middle school students and is funded by the City of Columbus. We are recruiting students as well as teachers. Teachers will commit to 12 hour per week. Volunteer tutors are also welcome! See more on our website at https://bccoh.org/afterschool/ or contact [email protected].

This summer, high school students from Licking County had the opportunity to participate in the TANF Summer Youth Employment Program, sponsored by Licking County Job and Family Services. Through this initiative, students were placed in a variety of local organizations, including BCCO, Excel Home Health Care, and Serenity Home Health Care etc. These placements allowed students to gain hands-on experience while developing essential skills such as management, organizational, public speaking, Team work, and attention to detail. The program aimed to equip them with the tools needed for future academic and professional success.

The impact of the Summer Youth Program extends beyond just the students, as it also strengthens the community by fostering a more skilled and prepared workforce. Participants like Prasan and Ronisha shared how the program helped them grow in confidence and capability, preparing them for their future careers. As the program concludes, Licking County JFS and BCCO encourage other local businesses to partner with us in future years to continue providing meaningful opportunities for the Bhutanese-Nepali youth in their professional journey.

Executive Director Sudarshan Pyakurel represented the Bhutanese community at a White House mental health summit focused on improving equity and access to behavioral health care for Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AA and NHPI) communities.

Seven weeks of BCCO’s first ever summer camp wrapped up with an Author’s Party. The eight students, who are part of the BRIDGE program, each wrote their story. The stories were compiled into a single book and revealed to parents and staff at the celebration.

During the camp, the students also participated in enrichment activities including physical activities at parks and learning at museums and historical centers.