Moving Forward with ReEstablish Richmond

When people are connected, they can move forward faster.

Think about the momentum that connections have brought to your life. It may look like:

• Getting a job because you knew someone
• Learning to drive because a relative was willing to teach you
• Caring for an aging parent with the help of family or a faith community
• Receiving practical support when you were sick or had your first child

For refugee and immigrant newcomers, these connections are crucial. After arriving here ready to rebuild their lives, they often start from zero. We've heard it time and again from the communities we serve.

To a refugee from the Democratic Republic of Congo or Bhutan, "zero" may mean navigating life in an industrialized culture for the first time. For an Afghan professional who worked as a US military interpreter, it means starting over in an entry-level job. For an Afghan woman who grew up in the Taliban era, it means learning to read and write for the first time. For an Iraqi cardiologist, it means driving an ambulance. For a Burmese refugee, it means worshiping freely for the first time.

ReEstablish Richmond equips newcomers to rebuild their networks and gain the momentum needed for self-sufficiency. By connecting our clients to essential information, programming, and support—including our trained volunteers—and fostering connections between faith communities and other service providers, we ensure that newcomers have the resources they need to move forward faster and rebuild their lives on their own terms.

With a strong network of support, progress and integration come naturally. Networks aren’t made of one person or one organization but an entire community.