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.
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?
Active Members
Up to 100 RIVA AmeriCorps members complete service terms each year.
Active Host Sites
RIVA AmeriCorps members serve at host sites across Iowa.
A RefugeeRISE Iowa Program