RISSE

RISSE RISSE is dedicated to helping refugees and new immigrants build sustainable lives in our area. culture and community.

Refugee and Immigrant Support Services of Emmaus (RISSE) is a family-based center supporting newcomers in building sustainable lives in the U.S. Our mission is to equip refugees and recent immigrants to build sustainable, independent lives by offering language and literacy instruction and support with life skills and integration into U.S. RISSE provides a wide range of support to newly-arrived fam

ilies, including:

* Youth and adult ESOL classes
* Resume and job skills education
* Immigration paperwork assistance
* Referrals to other human service providers


RISSE works in collaboration with: local colleges, Capital Area BOCES, USCRI, SUNY Albany, Upper New York Annual Conference of The United Methodist Church, Catholic Charities, Refugee Round Table, Whitney Young Health Center, United Way, Love Albany, and many other community groups.

🌿 **Albany Essential Exchange** 🌿Free community exchange for food and essentials.💚 Take what you need💚 Give what you can...
06/09/2026

🌿 **Albany Essential Exchange** 🌿

Free community exchange for food and essentials.

💚 Take what you need
💚 Give what you can (optional)

📅 June 12, 2026
⏰ 11 AM–1 PM
📍 240 W. Lawrence St., Albany, NY

Everyone is welcome! Help us build a community where neighbors support neighbors. 🤝

💙 Health care can feel confusing when you’re new to a country. That’s why community matters.🌍 In celebration of World He...
06/04/2026

💙 Health care can feel confusing when you’re new to a country. That’s why community matters.

🌍 In celebration of World Health Day, RISSE hosted a Community Health Resource Fair to help newcomer families connect with local healthcare resources, build confidence, and learn how to navigate the U.S. healthcare system.

✨ Met directly with providers from Chasing Health, St. Peter’s Crime & Victim Support Services, Planned Parenthood, and MVP Health Care.
✨ Learned about healthcare, wellness, and preventive services.
✨ Asked questions, built connections, and discovered resources available right here in our community.

A special shoutout to our MPH intern, Victoria Buell, whose leadership helped make this event possible. Victoria also developed a Basic Healthcare Vocabulary Handbook for newcomer learners, which was distributed to participants and will continue supporting students in RISSE’s Adult Education Program.

Every newcomer deserves access to healthcare, information, and a community that cares. Together, we’re building healthier, stronger, and more connected communities. 💙

ImmigrantSupport CommunityCare HealthForAll CapitalRegion NewAmericans TogetherWeThrive

Every child deserves a reason to smile. 💛This Wednesday, Albany Medical College brought so much joy to our after-school ...
05/18/2026

Every child deserves a reason to smile. 💛

This Wednesday, Albany Medical College brought so much joy to our after-school program with a Teddy Bear Clinic! 🧸✨ Students were given “injured” stuffed animals and guided through different stations to help nurse their fuzzy friends back to health. ❤️‍🩹

There were smiles, tiny bandages, lots of imagination, and a room full of care and compassion. Moments like these remind us how powerful community can be—and how much children thrive when they feel supported, seen, and celebrated. 🫶

Huge thank you to Ganling, Theresa, and the incredible AMC volunteers who made this day so special! ♥️

Want to help create more moments like this?
Volunteer with RISSE, donate, and contribute to our mission of supporting refugee and immigrant families in our community. Every act of support helps us build brighter, more joyful futures for a diverse Capital Region together. 🌎✨

✨ RISSE Community Connections & Moments of Impact📚 Throwback to our “Know Your Library” sessionWe loved partnering with ...
04/24/2026

✨ RISSE Community Connections & Moments of Impact

📚 Throwback to our “Know Your Library” session

We loved partnering with to connect newcomer families to free local resources.

New York State has 1,000+ public libraries, yet many newcomers do not have library cards. During this session, nearly 30 participants signed up on the spot. 💙

Families left with access to books, technology, and programs, and the excitement to make the library part of their everyday lives.

🌱 Growth doesn’t always look the way we expect.Sometimes, it looks like a room full of people—laughing, learning, and ge...
04/10/2026

🌱 Growth doesn’t always look the way we expect.
Sometimes, it looks like a room full of people—laughing, learning, and gently stretching together.

This Monday at RISSE, that’s exactly what happened 💛

A huge thank you to everyone who joined our **Volunteer Coffee Hour & Training** ☕
What began as a quiet start (and a stubborn doorbell 😅) quickly turned into a joyful, full room—filled with connection, curiosity, meaningful conversations, and yes… sweet treats.

During the training, Dr. Claudia introduced the **Learning Zone Model**—a reminder that growth asks us to move beyond what’s comfortable:

✨ Comfort Zone — what feels familiar
✨ Learning Zone — where we reflect and grow
✨ Panic Zone — where overwhelm can stop us

And maybe the most important part—growth doesn’t happen alone.

It happens in spaces like this one, where we feel safe enough to stretch, stay curious, and show up for one another.

🌟 Thank you, Claudia, for holding such a thoughtful and powerful space.
💛 And to our volunteers—you are the heart of this work.

✨ Interested in joining us? Stay tuned for upcoming trainings and ways to get involved.

As we welcome the New Year, RISSE celebrates what makes our Capital Region truly special—our people. Togetherness, diver...
01/01/2026

As we welcome the New Year, RISSE celebrates what makes our Capital Region truly special—our people. Togetherness, diversity, and shared experiences continue to enrich our communities, strengthen our connections, and inspire hope for what’s ahead. Here’s to a year of unity, understanding, and collective growth. ✨

Thank you to UAlbany’s Sigma Beta Rho Fraternity for joining us to volunteer last month! We enjoyed having you and the e...
12/15/2025

Thank you to UAlbany’s Sigma Beta Rho Fraternity for joining us to volunteer last month! We enjoyed having you and the enthusiasm you brought to RISSE! 🌎

❄️ Our second annual RISSE Winter Readiness Fair was a great success, with more than 40 participants joining us! ❄️Thank...
12/10/2025

❄️ Our second annual RISSE Winter Readiness Fair was a great success, with more than 40 participants joining us! ❄️

Thank you to our amazing partners—, , and —for providing Winterization Home Kits, Emergency Survival Backpacks, and essential information on housing and tenant rights to help newcomer families stay safe and warm during their Upstate NY winter.

Also a warm thank-you to for hosting us with hot chocolate and cookie decorating that brought joy and community to the evening.

Events like this make a real difference, helping newcomers feel equipped, supported, and welcomed in their new home. 🏡 ❄️

*All our outreach events are made possible by our grant provider

AlbanyNY CommunitySupport

Thank you to the residents of South Pine Avenue for their generosity in donating food items on behalf of newcomers in ou...
12/03/2025

Thank you to the residents of South Pine Avenue for their generosity in donating food items on behalf of newcomers in our area. Many of our clients and students have already benefited greatly from your generosity. We are grateful for the continued support from our community!

There’s still time!! ⏳⏱️ Give before the day ends and help RISSE continue the Capital Region’s proud history of welcomin...
12/03/2025

There’s still time!! ⏳⏱️ Give before the day ends and help RISSE continue the Capital Region’s proud history of welcoming new neighbors.

Address

715 Morris Street
Albany, NY
12208

Telephone

+15186211041

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