ReEstablish Richmond was founded by the community, for the community.
In 2010, as Patrick Braford was getting to know several newly resettled families from Myanmar, he noticed a gap in Richmond's services for refugees. Government programs assigned families to Richmond upon entering the U.S., but after arrival the families often didn't have the resources or skills to secure adequate housing. Patrick's passion for the inclusion of newcomers in the wider community led him to start ReEstablish Richmond, a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization focused on helping refugees settle into Richmond while maintaining ties to their home culture.
Patrick didn't do this work alone, of course. Partnership and collaboration have been part of our DNA from the beginning, and as Patrick shared his vision with others, people from across the Richmond community were drawn to join the team. ReEstablish Richmond would not be who we are today without their dedicated efforts.
In those early years, our programs related to issues of housing, agriculture, transportation independence, and employment. Today we focus on transportation independence, health + wellness, economic empowerment, and community engagement.
The programs and services of ReEstablish Richmond have shifted over the years to meet the ever-changing needs of the Richmond newcomer population, but we have never strayed from our focus of connecting our newest neighbors to life-building tools and resources, helping their integration to the community to be a positive and empowering experience.
Together with our partners and volunteers, we work:
To provide bridges of support for longer periods and fill gaps beyond initial resettlement services.
To listen and respond to the changing needs of refugee and new immigrant communities.
To connect newcomers with the right resources so they can exercise their full capabilities as providers, parents, and community members.
