Welcoming The Stranger

Welcoming the Stranger

Provide incoming and existing refugees with needed clothing. All arriving refugees are given a warm winter coat, hat, gloves and boots to prepare them for our harsh winters. They are assisted by volunteers who help them select sufficient clothing of their choosing. We purchase new socks and underwear to give to each arriving refugee. They are welcome to return to the clothing closet at any time to obtain additional clothing and shoes for job interviews, special occasions or other circumstances. We do not foresee an end to this need in the future and we measure success by the number of people we serve per year at our clothing closet. Saint’s Place operates the largest clothing closet in Rochester. In our last fiscal year, we helped 1,637 newly arrived refugees. Without your help, we can't meet the needs of an expected 40% increase in refugees.

Furnish the homes of newly arrived refugees with donated furniture from the Rochester community and supplemented with items purchased through fundraising and grants. Each new refugee receives a new mattress, box spring and pillow. The apartments are secured through Catholic Charities Family and Community Services, and Saint’s Place delivers couches, table and chairs, dressers, rugs, lamps, artwork, dishes, pots and pans, and bathroom accessories. We turn a dingy apartment into a warm, safe, welcoming home. We also help refugees who have been here for years but still struggle with poverty, bed bugs, domestic and community violence and secondary migration. The number of set-ups fluctuates according to how many refugees are sent to the Rochester area.

Provide school supplies for refugee children. Each arriving child receives a new backpack filled with school supplies. Success is measured by the number of backpacks we hand out each year – an average of 250 per year. All incoming refugees are given access to tutoring provided twice per week at two locations. Success is measured in children raising their grades at school, adults passing citizenship tests and watching confidence grow as refugees become more confident communicating in the English language. We tutor 75 refugees per week at two different sites.

The Saint’s Place Educational Initiative began in 2018. Refugees who receive aid in the form of a laptop, payment of school fees, books, partial tuition or vocational certification costs have measurable success. We see their grades improve and their lives change as they secure good employment with benefits. Since the program began, almost 250 people have received approximately $300,000 in tuition assistance, textbooks, driving lessons, tools and other equipment required for work. More than 150 laptops have been awarded to both students and families.

Our grant-funded beds program began in January 2020. This initiative allows us to give free beds to legal refugees. Beds are our most requested items. Having a good night's sleep on a clean bed with bedding and a new pillow improves the physical and mental health of individuals and gives them a chance to secure a better future.