About Us

Dorcas International Institute of Rhode Island strives to create a welcoming environment for all, working to empower the most vulnerable among us for more than 100 years. We meet our clients where they are by providing innovative wraparound services helping those seeking to overcome educational, cultural, economic, legal, and language barriers. A non-profit 501(c)(3), Dorcas International offers adult education, language learning, job training, citizenship and immigration legal services, refugee resettlement, translation and interpreting, clothing and household needs, and more.

Our organization has taken different shapes during the last 100+ years of service, but our commitment and dedication to the individuals, families and community we serve remains steadfast.

Mission

We cultivate an inclusive community for immigrants and those seeking refuge by providing integrated services, fostering cross-cultural understanding, and nurturing strong partnerships.

Vision

We envision a future where everyone is welcome and has the opportunity to thrive and prosper.

Core Values

Respect   |   Integrity   |   Agility   |   Inclusivity

History

In 2013, Dorcas International Institute of Rhode Island was born from the union of two great organizations: the International Institute of Rhode Island and the Dorcas Place Adult and Family Literacy Center.

Dorcas Place helped low-income adults to realize their full potential through literacy, collaboration, advocacy, and community involvement starting back in 1981. Since then, it  joined forces with the International Institute of Rhode Island (IIRI), which was founded in 1921, originally housed in two rooms on Weybosset Street and began as an affiliate of the YWCA. The two organizations came together to create Dorcas International Institute of Rhode Island, an all-encompassing multi-service agency that provides education and job readiness opportunities as well as legal services for citizenship and immigration, refugee resettlement programs, and more.

Since the 2013 merge, Dorcas International, a 501 (c) (3) non-profit, has continued more than a century’s worth of work in the community, collectively serving the needs of immigrants,  refugees and native born in Rhode Island and southeastern Massachusetts since 1921.

Land Acknowledgement Statement

We acknowledge that the land in Rhode Island upon which Dorcas International Institute of Rhode Island’s two campuses stand was once the territory of the Narragansett nation peoples. We thank them and their ancestors for stewarding these lands since time immemorial.

We also acknowledge the Wampanoag and Eastern Niantic indigenous nations who, in addition to the Narragansetts, once resided on the lands of Rhode Island.

Please consider the land where you reside and the presence of the original inhabitants of that land who were most impacted by colonization and may have been forcibly removed. Please join us in this important reflection.