Refugee Assistance & Immigration Services (RAIS)
Refugee Assistance & Immigration Services (RAIS) provides a bridge for refugees (individuals who have had to flee their countries of origin due to the tragedies of persecution and war) from their former life experiences to the new skills required for success in the United States. The program assists clients in obtaining a lifestyle that has sustainable financial support and in which the family's basic needs are fully met on a long-term basis. RAIS offers a wide range of bilingual and bicultural services including case management, life skills orientation and job readiness classes.
Your Gift Helps!
- $25 will purchase a new pair of shoes for a child getting ready for his or her first day at school.
- $50 will purchase a uniform for an individual preparing for his or her first day of work.
- $100 contribution will purchase groceries to stock a family's kitchen for their first week in the U.S.
Did You Know?
- 548 refugee and asylee clients throughout Alaska were served in fiscal year 2011.
- Of the 54 new families enrolled in fiscal year 2011, 40 families arrived in Alaska directly from their county of origin, and another 14 came to Alaska via another state within their first 5 years in the US.
- We have programs that focus on youth. Take just 2 minutes to watch our soccer & music group in action.
Find Out More
- RAIS Brochure
- Download the RAIS Volunteer Opportunites brochure here.
- State Refugee Coordinator Explains How Refugees Adapt to Alaska, KTVA, September 2011
- KSKA's "Kids These Days" Podcast August 2011
- Kids who learned soccer in refugee camps team up here, Anchorage Daily News, July 2011
- KTUU's Refugee Series, May 2011
- RAIS Youth Music Group Website
- Find a bilingual person to help with interpreting
- Client Eligibility Criteria for Resettlement Services
- Description of RAIS Immigration Services
- Client Eligibility Criteria for Older Refugee Services
- List of Donations Needed



