Worcester Refugee Assistance Project Inc

OUR PROGRAM SERVES REFUGEES LIVING IN WORCESTER IN SEVERAL DIFFERENT CAPACITIES THROUGH EDUCATION AND MENTORING PROGRAMS, FOR ALL REFUGEES AND DISPLACED PEOPLES IN THE WORCESTER AREA. IN ADDITION, COLLABORATIONS WITH OTHER LOCAL ORGANIZATIONS ON AN AD-HOC BASIS TO MEET THE GROWING NEEDS OF REFUGEES. THE CHILDREN'S AND YOUTH PROGRAMS ARE CENTERED AROUND WEEKLY PROGRAMMING THAT PROVIDES VARIOUS STEM ACTIVITIES, EXPERIMENTS, ART PROJECTS, AND MORE TO ENCOURAGE SOCIABILITY AND ACADEMIC CURIOSITY WITHIN THE GROUPS. IN HOPES TO SPARK NEW INTERESTS AND CAREER ASPIRATIONS, BOTH GROUPS TAKE FIELD TRIPS TO LOCAL MUSEUMS, TOWER HILL BOTANICAL GARDEN, LOCAL BEACHES AND PARKS, AND MORE.THE WEEKLY MONDAY NIGHT EDUCATION PROGRAMS WORK COLLABORATIVELY WITH MASS ACADEMY HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS, STUDENTS FROM AREA COLLEGES, AND UMASS CHAN MEDICAL STUDENTS TO PROVIDE WEEKLY ACTIVITIES, SCHOOL TUTORING AND HOMEWORK HELP. THE MENTORING PROGRAMS WORK WITH UMASS MEDICAL SCHOOL AND GRADUATE STUDENTS TO PROVIDE COLLEGE APPLICATION AND SAT PREP MENTORING, EDUCATIONAL SCHOLARSHIPS, AND SUMMER ENRICHMENT PROGRAMS FOR TEENS. IN COLLABORATION WITH THE CASE MANAGEMENT ELECTIVE AT THE UMASS CHAN MEDICAL SCHOOL, THE COMMUNITY RESOURCE CONNECTOR (CRC) PROGRAM HAS CONNECTED UMASS CHAN STUDENTS TRAINED IN CASE MANAGEMENT THROUGH THE WORCESTER FREE CARE COLLABORATIVE WITH WRAP COMMUNITY MEMBERS TO ACCOMPANY THEM AS THEY NAVIGATE THE COMPLEX SYSTEMS REQUIRED TO MEET THEIR HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICE NEEDS. THE CONNECTORS AID IN FILLING OUT GREEN CARD APPLICATIONS, INSURANCE AND SOCIAL SECURITY FORMS, FINDING EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES, CAREER ADVANCEMENT, HOUSING, AND MANY OTHER RESETTLEMENT NEEDS. WRAP WORKS WITH UMASS MEDICAL STUDENTS AND PHYSICIANS TO EDUCATE COMMUNITY MEMBERS ABOUT COVID-19 AND HEALTH PRESERVATION MEASURES, SCHEDULE VACCINATIONS, ADVOCATE FOR INTERPRETER SERVICES AT CLINICS, AND ENSURE SUSTAINABLE LONG TERM CARE FOR ALL. OUR ONLINE ESL CLASSES FOR ADULTS RUN 4 TIMES PER WEEK, 2 TIMES PER DAY AND ARE OPEN TO REFUGEES AND IMMIGRANTS FROM ALL COUNTRIES. MORE THAN 200 ADULTS FROM AFGHANISTAN, HAITI, UKRAINE, SYRIA, PALESTINE, BURMA, BRAZIL HAVE ACCESSED OUR BEGINNER AND INTERMEDIATE ESL CLASSES IN 2023. WE ALLOCATE A SIGNIFICANT PORTION OF OUR FUNDS TO SERVE AS GRANTS TO THE COMMUNITY. AS PART OF THIS, WE SPONSORED 10 REFUGEE WOMEN FOR DRIVING LESSONS IN KEEPING WITH OUR MISSION TO ASSIST NEW IMMIGRANTS TO SELF SUFFICIENCY.