Refugee Services of Texas, Inc. (RST) has been
resettling refugees in Dallas
for 32 years. Formerly Dallas-Fort Worth
Refugee Interagency, Inc., RST amended its articles of incorporation under the
laws of the State of Texas
on July 15, 1989 giving effect to its name change. In July 2002 RST further had a name change to
Refugee Services of Texas Inc. when a new sub office was opened in Austin
Texas. RST now has offices in Dallas, Ft. Worth, Austin, Amarillo, and Houston and
have just recently opened a new Administrative office in Dallas in the Munger/Junius area.
RST was originally formed as a non-profit
organization to provide the activities of organizations with respect to refugee
resettlement; to coordinate social services provided for refugees, including
education, medical care, housing, clothing and employment; to undertake further
programs for refugees in cultural and other fields not now provided by other
agencies; and to conduct workshops for organizations engaged in refugee programs. During our history we have successfully
resettled over 10,000 new Americans into Texas.
RST also works with asylees and victims of
trafficking through our Match Grant programs with the Office of Refugee
Resettlement as these two groups of clients are eligible for the same services
as refugees identified above. RST has
programs in our Austin
site with the Department of Justice to assist victims of trafficking. RST also has the Greenleaf Program for mental
health counseling previously housed at the University
of Texas, School
of Social Work in our Austin office.
In accordance with our mission of working with
displaced peoples, RST began working with the Hurricane Katrina evacuees in Dallas, Fort Worth, Austin and Houston
in September 2005. RST had grants
through Lutheran Disaster Response and Episcopal Migration Ministries UMCOR
Katrina Aid Today for these programs to provide case management. RST continued to work with displaced
Americans though funding from the North Central Council of Governments in
Dallas and Tarrant counties and with Urban League in Dallas under the Dallas Housing Authority
which has now ended.
RST also has an immigration clinic in our Dallas and Fort
Worth offices through a partnership with Justice For Our Neighbors. This immigration clinic
serves RST clients to adjust their status, file family petitions and any other
immigration issues.
Refugee Services of Texas Inc. is an affiliate of
Church World Service, Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Services and Episcopal
Migration Ministries.