Partner Link-Up Featuring: EMBARC
In this edition of our Partner Link-Up series, we’re highlighting Ethnic Minorities of Burma Advocacy and Resource Center (EMBARC), a nonprofit that’s breaking down barriers and creating connections for the Burmese community in Iowa. Director of Grants and Development, Moriah Morgan, shares more about EMBARC’s innovative approach and the role National Able Network plays in expanding access and opportunity.
Question: Can you tell us about EMBARC and the community you serve?
Answer: EMBARC is a 501(c)(3) founded in 2012, and we serve as a Burmese-specific agency based in Iowa. Simply put: if it involves the Burmese community, we’re here to help! We offer a wide range of services and resource connections including early childhood support, crisis response, mental health advocacy, digital literacy programming, culturally-aware food pantries, and much more.
We’re also deeply involved in systems navigation. At EMBARC, we believe in making existing systems truly accessible to our communities. That means offering not just translation, but culturally and linguistically appropriate support.
Q: How did your partnership with National Able Network begin?
A: Our partnership began in 2024 during a major turning point in the community. A large factory (which was a main employer at the time) and other local factories started closing. We were suddenly flooded with people who had been laid off. As a community-based resource we were in a unique position to lift the voices of the community.
We reached out to IowaWORKS and they connected us to key liaisons like National Able Network. They trained us on the basics of the system to empower our team and take on the role of unemployment navigators for the community. Within 2 weeks, we had an 80-client caseload with a staff of 7! It basically superseded all of our normal programming so we could get help to the people who needed it.
Ultimately, by bringing our unique expertise to the conversation, our deep understanding of the barriers our community faced, and IowaWORKs’s knowledge and connection to reemployment resources – we built out an infrastructure and recruited a multilingual advocate role at IowaWORKs who focused on employment readiness for clients seeking more complex career development.
Q: What are some of the most meaningful outcomes you’ve seen through this collaboration?
A: Working with pre-literate populations is quite unique, especially when seeking employment support, but we’ve seen real success! One of our clients was able to earn their Commercial Driver’s License (CDL)—something they wouldn’t have been able to do without the support and partnership of National Able Network and IowaWORKS.
Also, we participated in a work experience pilot, where clients could work full-time and dedicate six hours a week to English language development (while still receiving a paycheck). That kind of model is game-changing. It incentivizes employers, builds skills, boosts confidence, and ultimately benefits the workplace as a whole.
Q: What makes this partnership unique or effective?
A: The flexibility and space for us to go through growing pains together is really effective. There’s a shared problem-solving mindset that makes this collaboration feel authentic and productive. We’re not afraid to say, “That didn’t work. Let’s try something else.” We’re able to dream a little bigger because of that openness.
Q: What advice would you give to other organizations considering a partnership with National Able Network?
A: Be part of the conversation. Even if you’re not sure how you fit in, just show up! This program is trying to create access where it hasn’t existed before. That means it takes creativity, flexibility, and a willingness to try new things. I hope more communities get involved in efforts like this so we can create lasting change for future generations.
