Re-Establish Richmond

Over 400 people were impacted in fy23. Program services are broken out into 4 main categories: transportation indepdence, community engagement, economic empowerment and health & wellness.transportation independence: lack of reliable transportation is the biggest barrier to self-sufficiency and community integration. Through bus orientations, learner's permit study courses in the primary languages of our clients, dmv orientation/navigation support, scholarships for behind the wheel lessons, and car donations, our transportation independence program equips refugee and immigrant newcomers with the knowledge and skills they need to get themselves where they want to go.- clients achieve progressive stages of transportation independence.- clients are able to manage their own affairs, care for the needs of their family, and get themselves to and from work, school, shopping, medical appointments, etc. - clients gain the agency to access and enjoy more of what the area has to offer.- clients become safe, confident drivers, contributing to the safety and strength of the wider community.to learn more about program accomplishments and statistics, visit: wwwreestablishrichmondorgourimpact and read our annual report.

Economic empowerment: to take ownership of a new skill creating something both beautiful and functional is an empowering experience. Building on the hand-sewing skills many of our clients learned from their mothers and grandmothers, the heela beginner course is an employment readiness program that equips women with the detail-oriented machine skills required to obtain jobs and flourish in a sewing-related career. The maker course includes financial literacy and focuses on product design and advanced sewing skills. Personal finance skills, a new initiative of our economic empowerment program, is a financial literacy curriculum tailored to client needs. Consisting of a series of virtual seminars on topics related to personal finance, this support provides clients with fundamental, practical skills that equip clients to meet their economic goals and move toward financial self-sufficiency. - clients in the heela sewing course sew projects, learn professional sewing techniques from experienced seamstresses, and have the opportunity to earn a certification that can be listed on resumes. - clients of personal finance skills will participate in financial seminars hosted by community partners with the opportunity to address their specific needs. - clients are empowered and equipped with life-long skills and confidence to support their families and reach their economic goals.

Community engagement: building meaningful relationships is integral to a sense of belonging, and getting to know someone who seems different is an opportunity to discover ways that we are, in fact, much the same. Our community engagement program has two components assessing our clients' needs and connecting them to volunteers for 1:1 support through our volunteer engagement program, and helping members of the community to learn about and better understand our newest neighbors. Fostering these connections invites folks on both sides to experience the transformational power of welcome, trust, and cultural exchange.- clients are matched with a volunteer to help them work toward their educational and professional goals. - volunteers serve as tutors and mentors, reducing client frustration and duplication of efforts by service providers.- clients enjoy networking and social events specifically designed for refugee and immigrant communities.- members of the larger Richmond community may request a speaker to share about the refugee and immigrant landscape.

Health and wellness: because of the stress and trauma inherent in the experiences of displacement, migration, and resettlement, refugees are ten times more likely to show symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, and anxiety. Our health + wellness program empowers our newest neighbors to consider what wellness means for them and then to pursue it, learning and growing together. - participants enjoy group activities like gardening, yoga, parenting discussions, conflict resolution workshops, etc. - participants are encouraged to restore the body + mind connection that is often disrupted by experiences of trauma.- participants are equipped with new tools to manage the ongoing stresses of everyday life. - participants connect with one another and build healthier lives both physically and mentally.