RHR Emergency Relocation Fund

Refugees Helping Refugees (RHR) is a nonprofit organization that strives to help refugees in the Rochester community. One of the primary goals is to “foster the growth, self-determination, and self-reliance of the refugee community by making them agents of their own advancement.” Since our foundation in 2002, RHR has provided socialization activities for elders, offered English classes, citizenship training and case management services, a summer program for youth, and a certified work experience program. All of our staff are volunteers, and thanks to their hard work and dedication, RHR has been growing.

In January of 2014, a cold winter night in Rochester froze the pipes of our original location at Charles Settlement House. We received a call saying that we could not use the facility for a few days. Water was pouring down the elevator shaft and there was extensive water damage and flooding. What was supposed to be a few days turned into a few months. As an organization, we knew that we could not postpone our programs. Since then, we have been temporarily located at Mary’s Place and currently rent space from the Greek Orthodox Church of the Holy Spirit. We are incredibly thankful for the support and help we have received over the past few years. More recently, however, we have found that we are outgrowing our space. RHR has plans to continue to expand and develop new outreach programs. We are looking to find a space of our own to offer the best possible services to our refugees. We want to expand our hours of service to weekends and evenings, offer more programs, serve more people in our classes, and improve our youth programs. Despite the challenges, we are optimistic that we can find a facility and continue to look forward to the future and the exciting, new opportunities coming our way. We appreciate your kindness and support.