The Bhutanese Community Association of Pittsburgh (BCAP) is one of the most prominent Bhutanese community organizations in the United States, serving over 8,000 Bhutanese refugees and former refugees in the Pittsburgh metropolitan area. Co-founded in 2010 by Khara Timsina and incorporated as a 501(c)(3) in 2012, BCAP provides literacy education, youth and family programs, mental health support, senior services, and cultural programming. Timsina was recognized at the Obama White House in 2017 and received the Advancing PA Forward Award from Governor Tom Wolf in 2022. BCAP reported $824,878 in revenue and over $1 million in total assets in 2024.
The Bhutanese Community Association of Pittsburgh (BCAP) is one of the most prominent Bhutanese community organizations in the United States, serving over 8,000 Bhutanese refugees and former refugees in Allegheny County and the surrounding Pittsburgh metropolitan area. Co-founded in 2010 by Khara Timsina and incorporated as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit in 2012 (EIN 30-0742370), BCAP operates from its office at 3000 Brownsville Road, Suite C, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The organization provides literacy and civics education, youth and family programs, mental health support, senior services, cultural programming, and women's empowerment initiatives.
BCAP has grown from a grassroots response to a refugee suicide in 2010 into a professionally staffed organization with over $1 million in total assets, recognized by the Obama White House, the Governor of Pennsylvania, and national immigrant advocacy organizations. The organization has expanded its mission to serve refugees from Myanmar, Africa, and the Middle East alongside the Bhutanese community.[1]
History
Bhutanese refugees began arriving in Pittsburgh in 2008 through the U.S. State Department's refugee resettlement program. In January 2010, a refugee suicide galvanized the community — an event that Timsina described as bringing "all the Bhutanese together in the city" and catalyzing collective action. Khara Timsina co-founded BCAP that year, with formal incorporation as a 501(c)(3) following in 2012. The organization received its IRS tax-exempt designation in August 2014.
Timsina explained the founding motivation: "We didn't want people to feel so isolated. We wanted them to feel comfortable practicing their religion and celebrating their culture in the U.S." The elevated suicide rate among resettled Bhutanese refugees — the CDC documented a rate of 20.3 per 100,000 in 2012, nearly double the national average of 12.4 — underscored the urgency of community-based support.[2]
Leadership
Khara Timsina has served as Executive Director since 2017. Born in southern Bhutan into a Lhotshampa family, his family was prevented from receiving education or working due to ethnic persecution. They left their village in 1992 and spent 17 years in a Bhutanese refugee camp in Nepal. Timsina arrived in the United States in 2009, initially settling in New York City before moving to Pittsburgh eight months later.
Timsina's recognition includes:
- 2017: One of eight refugee leaders nationwide recognized by the Obama Administration at the White House for contributions to making the U.S. more welcoming
- 2022: Advancing PA Forward Award from Governor Tom Wolf
- 2022: Best Community Service Award from the Global Bhutanese Organization
- 2023: Featured on the Power of Diversity AAPI 100 List
He has served as Co-Chair of Allegheny County DHS's Immigrants and Internationals Advisory Council and on Governor Wolf's Racial Equity Subcommittee on COVID Vaccination. After the 2018 Tree of Life synagogue shooting, Timsina organized a candlelight vigil "to pray for the souls that left, to pray for those who were wounded and were in hospitals and to appreciate the bravery of the first responders that day and then to stand against hatred in all forms."[3]
BCAP's 13-member Board of Directors is chaired by President Julia Baraily, with Vice President Uma Gauttam, Secretary Dhiren Subedi, and Treasurer Brooke Kissler.
Programs and Services
Literacy and Civics Education
BCAP provides English language classes, citizenship preparation including N-400 and N-600 form assistance, voter registration drives, and transportation to polling places. The citizenship program has been notably successful — approximately 95% of supported individuals have become naturalized citizens, and most adults are registered voters.
Afterschool Academy
BCAP's youth program provides school-age children a safe community for learning and growth. The program offers homework help and engagement activities, operating Tuesdays and Thursdays at BCAP's office and Mondays and Wednesdays at Baldwin Library, in partnership with West Jefferson Hills and Baldwin-Whitehall School Districts. The program addresses learning loss through culturally relevant programming and supports social-emotional well-being.[4]
Mental Health Support
BCAP has trained over 150 community members as Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) informal helpers — a critically important initiative given the elevated suicide rate and mental health stigma within the Bhutanese community. Research has found that 57.7% of resettled Bhutanese feel embarrassed by mental illness, 61.2% fear negative judgment, and over 71% believe they would be viewed unfavorably for seeking counseling.[5]
Older Adult Outreach
Since 2019, BCAP has provided support for elderly community members navigating Social Security, Medicare, and other senior services — a particularly important service for older refugees who arrived with limited English proficiency and face compounded barriers to accessing benefits.
Women's Empowerment
BCAP offers driving lessons for women, assistance navigating systems and services, and cultural programming including the annual Teej festival celebrating women's leadership.
COVID-19 Response
During the pandemic, BCAP received a $20,000 state grant from Governor Wolf's grassroots vaccine outreach initiative. Timsina worked with local healthcare providers to bring mobile vaccine clinics to Bhutanese neighborhoods south of Pittsburgh and promoted vaccination openings by phone to over 1,000 refugees. BCAP built its own information infrastructure: Nepali-language audio messages and text alerts through a robocall channel explaining policy changes, benefits, school information, and community updates.[6]
The Pittsburgh Bhutanese Community
Pittsburgh's Bhutanese community numbers between 5,000 and 8,000 people, with approximately 70% arriving through secondary migration from their initial resettlement cities. The community is concentrated along the Route 51/Brownsville Road corridor — spanning Carrick, Mt. Oliver, Brentwood, Baldwin, Whitehall, Castle Shannon, Pleasant Hills, and Greentree. An estimated 75% of storefronts in surrounding plazas along Route 51 are now owned or managed by Nepali-speaking Bhutanese refugees, and at least eight Himalayan restaurants operate in the area. Nursing has emerged as the dominant career path, with many completing associate degrees at the Community College of Allegheny County and working at UPMC hospitals.[7]
Finances and Support
BCAP reported revenue of $824,878 and total assets of $1,033,765 in fiscal year 2024, reflecting steady growth from $280,428 in revenue and $25,327 in net assets in 2015. The organization is rated 88% (Three Stars) by Charity Navigator. Major funders include the Jefferson Regional Foundation, The Pittsburgh Foundation, The Heinz Endowments, PNC Foundation, Grable Foundation, Staunton Farm Foundation, and Duquesne Light Company. BCAP is a member of the We Are All America inaugural Ethnic Community Based Organizations Cohort and the Collaborative for Immigrant Impact, an 18-organization coalition addressing immigrant and refugee policy.[8]
See Also
References
- American Immigration Council. "Bhutanese Immigrant Co-Founds Community Association in Pittsburgh That Supports All Newcomers." https://www.americanimmigrationcouncil.org/story/bhutanese-immigrant-co-founds-community-association-in-pittsburgh-that-supports-all-newcomers/
- Eradicate Hate Global Summit. "Khara Timsina — Participant Profile." https://eradicatehatesummit.org/participant/khara-timsina/
- Pittsburgh City Paper. "Righteous Among the Neighbors: Khara Timsina." https://www.pghcitypaper.com/news/righteous-among-the-neighbors-khara-timsina-bcap-director-24818560
- BCAP. "Afterschool Academy." https://bcapgh.org/after-school-academy
- PublicSource. "Bhutanese Nepali Refugees in Pittsburgh: Mental Health First Aid." https://www.publicsource.org/bhutanese-nepali-refugees-pittsburgh-mental-health-first-aid-algee/
- WESA (NPR Pittsburgh). "Pittsburgh Bhutanese Association Receives $20,000 From State for COVID-19 Vaccine Outreach." December 2021. https://www.wesa.fm/health-science-tech/2021-12-16/pittsburgh-bhutanese-association-receives-20-000-from-state-to-perform-covid-19-vaccine-outreach
- Pittsburgh City Paper. "Bhutanese Refugees Bring a Himalayan Highway of Unique Food and Culture to the Route 51 Corridor." https://www.pghcitypaper.com/news-2/bhutanese-refugees-bring-a-himalayan-highway-of-unique-food-and-culture-to-the-route-51-corridor-24768130/
- ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer. "Bhutanese Community Association of Pittsburgh (EIN 30-0742370)." https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/300742370
Test Your Knowledge
Think you know about this topic? Try a quick quiz!
Help improve this article
Do you have personal knowledge about this topic? Were you there? Your experience matters. BhutanWiki is built by the community, for the community.
Anonymous contributions welcome. No account required.