Russian Oregon Social Services (ROSS) was established by Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon (EMO) in 1994 to serve the needs of Russian-speaking refugees and immigrants. More than 100,000 Russian-speaking refugees and immigrants from the former Soviet Union currently reside in the Portland metro area, and the numbers are expected to increase. Census figures show that no other place in the nation has had more of an influx from the former Soviet Union than the Pacific Northwest. Oregon is number two in the nation for Russian-speaking newcomers.