Worcester Refugee Assistance Project

At A Glance

Contact: 

Millie Rao

Location: 

Worcester, Massachusetts

Primary Issue Area:

  • Living Economies

Active since:

2009

Our Purpose

The Worcester Refugee Assistance Project (WRAP) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization  committed to assisting refugees and resettled migrants achieve sustainable self-reliance through mentoring, advocacy, and educational assistance. Founded in 2009, WRAP has collaborated with local organizations and Universities in Worcester to create targeted programs to support children, youth, and adults. We provide weekly after-school programming, individualized mentoring and tutoring, daily ESL classes over zoom, and weekend community activities. We also advocate for the needs of children with the WPS school system and offer logistical support as community members navigate complex healthcare, government assistance, and citizenship systems.  WRAP was created in response to the arrival of refugees from Burma in 2009. We expanded our mission in 2021 to include all refugees including the Afghani, Haitian and Ukrainian families that have moved to Worcester in the recent past. Our goals are to 1) Reduce social isolation in the community by providing an avenue for youth to gather and connect  2) promote self-sustainability and academic success of young adults through mentorship and skill-building workshops.