Refugee Development Center

Refugee Development Center

Refugee Development Center Overview:

The Refugee Development Center, established in 2002, is a vital 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to serving the unique needs of refugees, immigrants and all newcomers in mid-Michigan. The organizations journey began as a grassroots initiative, and over the course of more than two decades, they have evolved into a pivotal agency that provides essential support to those arriving in the community. After 21 years, their Center is a cornerstone for immigrants offering a diverse range of services to aid them in adapting to their new environment. 

The Refugee Development Center’s mission is to cultivate a welcoming, thriving community that collaborates with refugees and newcomers through education, engagement, and support. Through formal and informal learning opportunities, the Center has established itself as a haven where individuals can discover resources, connections, and learning experiences that are essential for their growth as residents and contributing members of society.  All along, they have nurtured strong community partnerships to strengthen their efforts and enhance resource-sharing. A key collaboration is one with UU Lansing, stemming from their acquisition of an old school building in south Lansing. This step led UU Lansing to open their doors to local non-profits, igniting partnerships that have evolved into meaningful connections, including the dynamic RDC-UU Lansing collaboration. The space has organically become a vibrant hub for RDC programming and home to our Newcomer Community Center.    

The overarching goal of the Refugee Development Center’s Community Center Grant project is to create a fully functioning, accessible, and welcoming RDC Newcomer Center with access to a range of services and programs in order to:

1. Improve access to education
2. Enhance socio-economic well-being
3. Nurture social-emotional well-being
4. Increase access to navigation services.

The Newcomer Center is located within the Unitarian Universalist Church in South Lansing. To do that, we have set forth the goals to:

• Renovate and make upgrades to classrooms in order to be fully functioning and ADA accessible
• Create safe and functional outdoor learning and play spaces.
• Increase the energy efficiency of the building.
• Increase the safety security of the building.    

The Newcomer Center will serve 2,500 people annually with the below programs. In addition, we continue to develop new programming as part of our commitment to being responsive to the needs of the families we serve.   

Programs Offered Year-Round:

• K-12 Youth Programs – tutoring, mentoring, college/career, life skills
• Early Literacy Programs—First Steps, preschool/nursery, multi-generational learning
• English Classes – multi-level emergent to advanced
• Workforce Development – skills Lab, career exploration, college access
• Mental Wellness – yoga, art, music, physical fitness, sewing, social club, tea time
• Health and Housing Navigation – landlord tenant support, lease and pathway to home ownership, insurance access, language support, crisis intervention
• Digital Literacy – access to devices and internet, computer classes, career support
• Citizenship – civics education, citizenship test preparation
• Driving – driving lessons on our state of the art driving simulator
• Food Access – provision of food boxes and other food staples