Refugees Helping Refugees

Refugees Helping Refugees RHR seeks to foster growth, self-determination, and self-reliance of Rochester's refugee community. This is a certified WEP activity through Monroe County.

History
The Somali Community in Western NY was founded in 2002 as a 501-3c non-profit organization. Two Somali refugees, meeting in a small apartment at River Park Commons in Rochester, NY, did case management and after school tutoring.

• In 2011, with the help of the staff in the Monroe County Office for Aging, SCWNY rented a first floor location at Charles Settlement House at 71 Parkway, runn

ing a senior project providing lunch and social activities for Somali seniors and case management help to all Somalis.

• In February 2012, an English as a Second Language (ESOL) program was begun using volunteer certified ESOL teachers 3 hours a day, 4 days per week. A grant from the NY state Office of New Americans helps to fund this program.

• During the summer of 2012, an intergenerational Somali summer program was conducted, teaching Somali youth Somali culture and language while engaging senior Somalis in teaching and coaching soccer. It partnered with Foodlink and the City of Rochester‘s Edgerton Center to provide free lunch and was funded by a small grant from the John F. Wegman Fund. A final ceremony with dancing and singing was held at the end that over 200 Somalis and community stakeholders attended. A 2013 ISSP summer program, funded by the Guido and Ellen Palma Foundation, was conducted in 2013.

• A 20-hour/ week work-experience program (WEP) began in September 2012, providing data entry in a 10-station computer lab, sewing, cooking, and health care activities and instruction and integrated with the ESOL class. Rochester Works! is a collaborating partner and has certified this program.

• In June 2013, SCWNY moved to the basement of Charles Settlement House. On December 30, 2014 it changed its name to Refugees Helping Refugees and was reincorporated to reflect its broadened mission to serve all refugees. Refugees Helping Refugees is now located at 546 Oxford St (Mailing Address: 259 Rutgers St) and operates a range of programs with both staff and volunteers.

Thank you, Carolyn from Center for Community Health & Prevention, URMC for inviting us to the Community Partner Open Hou...
12/13/2024

Thank you, Carolyn from Center for Community Health & Prevention, URMC for inviting us to the Community Partner Open House event today 12/13/24.

We are grateful for the opportunity to participate in this networking event!

Here are a few of our speakers and guests from our 10 Year Anniversary Celebration event on 11/09/24.
12/13/2024

Here are a few of our speakers and guests from our 10 Year Anniversary Celebration event on 11/09/24.

Address

228 S Plymouth Avenue
Rochester, NY
14608

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 4pm
Tuesday 9am - 4pm
Wednesday 9am - 4pm
Thursday 9am - 4pm
Friday 9am - 4pm

Telephone

(585) 563-7747

Website

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Our Story

Refugees Helping Refugees, initially incorporated under the name of The Somali Community in Western NY (SCWNY), was founded in 2002 as an all-volunteer 501-(c)(3) non-profit organization. In 2015, SCWNY was reincorporated as Refugees Helping Refugees to reflect its changed constituency – refugees from all countries.

Two Somali refugees, meeting in a small apartment at River Park Commons in Rochester, NY, recognized the need for case management advocacy for Somali elders and families. The organization that they founded has been growing steadily and today offers a wide range of services to refugees including ESOL classes, case management, healthy living programs, vocational training, senior services, legal counseling, and more.

In 2016, one of the founders, Sadiya Omar, won two ESL Jefferson Awards for Public Service; one at the local level (in Rochester, NY) and one at the national level. The national Jefferson Awards were bestowed upon 15 recipients from throughout the country whose lives, careers and volunteer activities “embody the finest examples of public service in a range of human endeavors.” In 2014 Sadiya, with Dr. Louise Bennett, was a finalist for the Farash Charitable Foundation Prize for Social Entrepreneurship. That year she was also a finalist for the Roslyn S. Jaffe Award, for making a meaningful difference in the lives of refugee women and children.