RIVA AmeriCorps

Leveraging the power of community, RIVA AmeriCorps trains emerging leaders in refugee and immigrant communities to become work-readiness trainers who support their peers with education, job searching, and community services.

Two Black men sit together at a table reading through paperwork. The young man on the right is wearing a white t-shirt. The older man on the left is wearing a blue button down shirt, and has gray showing in his hair.

WHAT WE DO

RIVA AmeriCorps members connect and support fellow refugees and immigrants to increase economic opportunities for people, and economic growth in Iowa.

Together, we:

  • Remove barriers to accessing basic services for employment

  • Break the poverty cycle by providing supports that lead to economic self-sufficiency

  • Provide culturally and linguistically appropriate support

  • Provide basic education for immigrants and refugees learning to navigate life in Iowa

  • Provide leadership opportunities to immigrants and refugees through service and volunteering

THE POWER OF TWO

RIVA AmeriCorps’s team approach leverages members’ diverse experiences, perspectives, and strengths.

Members serve in teams of two – one member from the newcomer community, and one member from the ‘receiving’ mainstream community – working together at community host sites to facilitate inclusion and integration.

OUR IMPACT

Breaking down barriers, creating opportunity

Every day, RIVA AmeriCorps teams collaborate with refugee and immigrant community leaders and partner organizations, to assess needs and work to eliminate harmful barriers. For many people, their only connection to vital resources is through a RIVA AmeriCorps member in their community.

Interested in becoming a RIVA AmeriCorps member or host site?

A white man and a Black woman sit together and share conversation in gray upholstered armchairs. The man has short hair and glasses, and wears a button-down shirt and slacks. The woman has long black hair, and wears a teal dress.

Active Members

Up to 100 RIVA AmeriCorps members complete service terms each year.

Nine women inspect garden beds in a yard surrounded by a fence. Eight women are Black, and four are wearing printed head scarves. One woman leans closer to inspect the garden bed. One white woman is speaking as she presses a sneaker to the garden bed

Active Host Sites

RIVA AmeriCorps members serve at host sites across Iowa.

A RefugeeRISE Iowa Program