ReEstablish Richmond
ReEstablish Richmond connects refugees and new immigrants with the resources and support they need to establish roots, build community, and become self-sufficient in the Greater Richmond region. Our programs provide individualized support with transportation, employment, education, English learning, and other goals identified by clients, while addressing barriers such as language, cost, transportation, and childcare that can make community resources difficult to access. In FY26, ReR served 461 newcomers, our highest annual total to date.
ReEstablish Richmond’s Transportation Independence Program changes lives.
ReEstablish Richmond’s Transportation Independence (TRIN) program helps newcomer adults learn to drive safely and navigate the process of earning a Virginia driver’s license. For many clients, that means learning an unfamiliar licensing system in a new language, and some have had little or no previous opportunity to drive. TRIN starts with Driving in Virginia workshops and permit preparation in clients’ primary languages. ReR staff and interpreters help clients understand the rules of the road and move through the licensing process, then connect them with professional driving schools when they are ready for behind-the-wheel instruction. 71% of TRIN
participants are women from Afghanistan, many of whom had limited opportunities to drive before coming to the United States. Learning to drive gives clients greater independence in getting themselves and their families where they need to go, while professional instruction helps prepare them to drive safely on Richmond’s roads.
81% of TRIN participants live below the federal poverty line, which can put professional driving lessons out of reach even after a client is ready to begin. ReR provides a $200 scholarship toward driving instruction for each eligible client, while clients pay a portion of the cost themselves to reinforce their commitment to attending and completing lessons. Last year, ReR provided approximately $7,000 in driving scholarships, and 37 TRIN participants earned their licenses. Your support would help sustain the full TRIN program, making driver education and professional instruction more financially and linguistically accessible so more newcomers can become safe, independent drivers.