Tapestry Farms chosen as Americorps RISE site
Tapestry Farms is excited to be the first RISE Americorps site in the Quad Cities, organization leaders recently announced.
In Iowa, RISE (Rebuild, Integrate, Serve and Empower) leverages the power of community by training emerging leaders from refugee and immigrant communities to become work-readiness trainers. RISE leaders connect and support fellow refugees with education, jobs and services to increase economic opportunities for refugees and economic growth to Iowa.
Tapestry Farms now hosts two RISE members.
What do RISE members do?
Remove barriers to accessing basic services for employment.
Break the poverty cycle by focusing on providing supports that lead to economic self-sufficiency.
Provide culturally and linguistically appropriate support.
Enable refugees to become contributing and engaged members of society.
Provide basic education to help refugees learn how to navigate modern life.
Provide leadership opportunities to refugees and other individuals by providing opportunities for service and volunteering.
EMBARC, a refugee-led nonprofit based in Waterloo and Des Moines, launched the RISE AmeriCorps program in 2015, with a focus on increasing economic self-sufficiency, job readiness, and community engagement of individuals who came to the U.S. as refugees. Up to 100 RISE AmeriCorps members complete a RISE service term each year.
RISE uses a paired team approach, to leverage members' diverse experiences, perspectives and strengths to facilitate inclusion and integration. Members serve in teams: one member from the newcomer refugee community, and one member from the receiving community work together to help empower refugees in their community.
RISE AmeriCorps Members serve at select nonprofits and workforce agencies across the state, empowering refugees to access services, build workforce readiness skills, and gain economic empowerment.
To learn more about RISE, visit www.refugeeriseiowa.org.