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General
We build bridges between refugee communities and local individuals, institutions, and organizations. We do this by building relationships with refugee community leaders and responding to their felt needs. Learn more specifics about how our vision impacts our day-to-day programs here.
The best way is to sign up to receive our newsletters. We send out an e-newsletter every month with stories of our impact, along with opportunities for volunteer involvement. We also send out a biannual printed newsletter in June and December.
You're welcome to follow us on social media as well. Our Instagram and Facebook pages share tons of exciting pictures and stories that never make it into our newsletters. If you're not interested in joining social media, then just jump onto the home page of our website once in awhile. At the bottom of the page, you'll see our Instagram feed with all of our most recent pictures. If you're not on social media (more power to you!), you can still see those pictures. A current feed is provided on the bottom of our homepage.
ESL stands for "English as a Second Language". In this context, it refers to English instruction for those who have a first language other than English. There are many acronyms that are used in overlapping ways, including ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages). English learners are often called ELLs ("English Language Learners").
But you know what? This is actually not our primary focus. Language is simply the cloak that wraps around culture, so we work hard to address deeper cultural barriers. Sure, we offer a couple of English classes each week, and we have a curriculum designed to be taught in 1-on-1 home mentorships, but other programs in town are far more robust in their language education.
Our focus is relational, resulting in leadership development and whole community impact. Learn more from our vision diagrams.
You can be a big help! People have a wide range of skills, and none of them is more important than another. First and foremost, you may be interested in just attending Table Talk. Just show up to this informal weekly potluck dinner to learn and connect.
Even better, consider signing up to be a mentor. This is our deepest impact work, and we will equip you to be successful. Learn more here.
You may enjoy serving as a host at our community center. Sit near the front desk to welcome people, get them signed onto our free WiFi, serve them some tea, and have a conversation. Ask us to learn more.
We'd also love for you to consider supporting us with monthly donations.
Have another idea? Let us know!
Absolutely! We would love an opportunity to share about our project with your group. Not only do we need community support, but we believe the community needs to know what we're doing. You can serve as the bridge that connects our exciting work with your own community.
Please send us an email to schedule something soon.
While the greatest needs in Amarillo involve refugees, our scope is broader. Our linguistic strengths enable us to work with all immigrants, regardless of which category they fall under. For example, even though the Mexicans living in Amarillo are not generally classified as refugees, we are happy to serve them when we can.
Our primary focus is on the ethnolinguistic communities which are primarily made up of refugees (as well as people who were at one time refugees before becoming citizens). This includes groups such as Afghans, Burmese, Burundians, Chin (Burma), Congolese, Dinka (S. Sudan), Eritreans, Ethiopians, Karen (Burma), Iraqis, Iranians, Lao, Nuba (Sudan), Nuer (S. Sudan), Rwandans, Somalis, Somali Bantus, and Vietnamese.
Our programs are focused on adults at this point, though we collaborate with local organizations who focus their efforts on serving children. Some of our programs, such as Table Talk and English classes, do offer childcare so that we can offer times of focused instruction with their parents.
Yes, we require background checks for all staff and contractors, as well as any volunteers who wish to serve in our mentorship program or with our childcare team. The cost is $10, and we encourage interested volunteers to make a donation to offset this cost.
Donations
Yes! We invite you to make a tax-deductible donation. We are also eligible for local, state, and federal grants.
You should receive a receipt by email within 24 hours of your donation, as well as a year-end statement by postal mail. If you have not received this, or you need a specific type of receipt, please just contact us.
Yes, every January we send out year-end giving statements by mail. In the meantime, you'll also receive a receipt by email every time you make a donation. If you need additional reports, or for some reason you don't receive your statement, please just let us know.
In 2021, donations made up exactly 50% of our total revenue. The rest came from strategic grants.
In 2021, 25% of our budget went to overhead expenses such as management, office expenses, and fundraising. The remaining 75% of our budget was dedicated to programs. Learn more about our financial history by viewing our 2021 IRS Form 990.
Affiliation
No. RLP exists to serve the refugees who are brought here by area partners, including Refugee Services of Texas and Catholic Charities of the Texas Panhandle. Actually though, many people are surprised to learn that a majority of the individuals who belong to our area's refugee communities have come as secondary migrants. This means they were initially settled in other locations, but found their way to Amarillo for employment or to connect with family members. Learn more about Amarillo's recent resettlement numbers here.
We seek to mimic the life of Jesus by showing hospitality to the strangers among us (Matt. 25:35). Every member of our Board of Directors and full-time staff identify as followers of Jesus. However, we do not use our official events and programs to proselytize or teach religious material. We serve people of all faith backgrounds, and we invite volunteer participation from people of all faith backgrounds.
Learn more about how our Christian faith is expressed by reading our Ministry Distinctives.
