Helping Newcomers Thrive by Planting Roots in their Communities
Every newcomer brings with them the hope of a better life, yet when they arrive to the United States, they face many barriers. RISE Carolina, a newly established nonprofit based in Upstate South Carolina, is committed to helping refugees achieve long-term integration with a focus on health literacy and healthcare navigation, enhanced employment, and extended ESL instruction so that they can thrive and quickly become contributors to our economic system and society. Through these opportunities and connections to our community, we hope to offer them a sense of belonging in our community.
Programs
Pantry Connect
Affordable Connections
ESOL Classes
Drive to Thrive
Canopy
Pantry Connect
Pantry Connect assists immigrant and refugee families facing food insecurity. By mobilizing volunteers and partners, we deliver culturally appropriate food that supports dignity, health, and stability. A full table becomes more than a meal — it becomes a foundation for belonging and a thriving future. This program is vital because recent legislation removed SNAP benefits from refugee families. Refugees are hard-working, performing important roles in construction, restaurant, manufacturing, healthcare, and service industries, but make an average of $17.65 an hour. At that wage, it is impossible to pay for rent, basic transportation, and food, and often children and parents go hungry.
Affordable Connections
Affordable Connections removes a major barrier for refugees and immigrants: digital access. Through our partnership with Mission Telecom, families receive affordable, high-speed internet and support to get connected with confidence. The Internet becomes more than a utility — it becomes a pathway to education, opportunity, stability, and belonging.
ESOL Classes
ESOL Classes equip newcomers with essential English skills for everyday success. Our practical instruction supports communication at work, in school, and across the community. Language becomes a pathway to confidence, connection, and a thriving future.
Drive to Thrive
Drive to Thrive helps newcomers gain independence through driving lessons, licensing support, and donated vehicles. When transportation barriers are removed, families can access jobs, healthcare, and education — turning mobility into opportunity and self-sufficiency.
Canopy
The Canopy program is based on the idea that as communities strengthen, befriend, and guide newcomers, they become integrated and give back more than they are given. RISE Carolina offers technical assistance to community groups walking alongside an immigrant or refugee family.