When Ikram Hashi arrived in Minnesota from Somalia at age 11, she and her siblings were wearing jackets … in June. Their mother and father were waiting for them at the airport. “Our parents laughed at us for wearing jackets,” she says, “We thought it was cold in America year-round,”said Hashi. 

Today, Hashi is one of eight 360 Communities staff on the outreach team, which supports victims/survivors of sexual and domestic violence in Dakota County. While she provides outreach and advocacy to all victims/survivors, her specialty is supporting the Somali population. Somali women face distinct cultural barriers to finding support when they come to the U.S. and are facing abuse. Hashi has established strong ties with local law enforcement, who rely on her cultural competency to better serve Somali victims/survivors.

Hashi’s expertise and talent has been a welcome addition, as 360 Communities seeks to break down barriers to support marginalized communities. Through her role at 360 Communities, Somali women have an advocate who understands and empathizes with their cultural experience.

If you are interested in joining the team at 360 Communities, visit our employment page to view open roles. At 360 Communities, we value the diversity of the human experience, and we strongly encourage people of diverse backgrounds to apply.

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