RISE stands for Refugee and International Student Engagement. The goal of The RISE Project is to raise funds for grants to send back out into the communities to those wanting to start programs reaching out to refugees and international students. 

Anyone interested in developing or furthering a program can submit a proposal that details out exactly what they would do with the money as well as what they have already done. The grant proposals are submitted to a committee for approval. Once a proposal is approved, the funds are sent to that person or organization.
 

1. His House Christian Fellowship at Western Michigan University has 1859 students from 98 countries with the two largest groups being from India and  Saudi Arabia.  They already have an English Training program with 200 students as part of their outreach.  The request for the grant was to help support a schedule of activities throughout the year that would reach out to international students.  
2. His House Christian Fellowship at Saginaw Valley State University, in Saginaw, MI.  This is not the same ministry, but an affiliate of the His House network in Michigan connected to Christian Churches.  SVSU has 700 international students from 47 different countries, mostly from Nepal & Saudi Arabia.  The campus ministry from SVSU is going to create a thrift store in the basement of their campus house to help fill the needs of international students who are not able to bring dorm or household items with them from their home country, like many American college students do from home.  

These two grants total $9,000.00 that will be given out so far this year.  We have received two other grant applications from campus ministries which have not been processed yet.  There is still more money in the grant fund to help empower churches or ministries to create ways to reach out to newcomers to the United States.