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Immigrants in the News: Yussuf Shafie of Burnsville named Outstanding Alumnus of the Year by Inver Hills Community College

Posted on Mar 28 2017

As a Somali and practicing Muslim, Yussuf Shafie has made outstanding impacts in his community. Somali immigrant Yussuf Shafie came to Burnsville in 2000, and has achieved success as a business owner and a social worker. The Inver Hills News reported on Shafie being named Outstanding Alumnus of the Year. In an interview with him, Yussuf admitted, “I love having the chance to help others. You meet people where they are. Understanding the whole concept of social work is knowing how to be there for people in need.”

In 2014, while earning his Masters of Social Work at the U of M, Yussuf along with his sister, opened the first Somali restaurant, Tawakal, in the town of Bursnville. The following year, Yussuf founded the Alliance Wellness Center in Bloomington. The Alliance Wellness center focuses on, “offering multicultural care delivered by a multicultural team with a focus on mental health issues and addiction.” The center is focused on serving clients with East African backgrounds. As the first of its kind, the Alliance Wellness Center is innovative, and has helped provide services to under served groups.

Along with serving as executive director of the Alliance Wellness Center, Yussuf works at Howry Residential Services in Eagan, assisting with the daily living needs of vulnerable adult clients. On top of his  work as a direct support professional at Howry, Yussuf also serves as a social worker at Roosevelt High School providing counseling services to troubled students.