Saint's Place
Welcoming the Stranger
When legal refugees arrive in Rochester, they have often lived for years in refugee camps, arriving with just the clothes on their backs. Saint’s Place gives each refugee a new bed, mattress, frame and pillow, but that commitment faces a major challenge this year due to the higher cost of mattresses. In the last 12 months, Saint’s Place provided 900 legal refugees with clothing and household goods. These are refugees who are being resettled through Catholic Family Center, and they are from such diverse places as Bhutan, Burma and Cuba. (Democrat & Chronicle 7/12/2016)
Saint's Place is a volunteer organization, based on Christian values, that provides household goods, clothing, and education to legal refugees of all races and creeds who settle in the Rochester, NY area to escape violence, discrimination and poverty. Saint's Place was established at St. Louis Parish and in 2009 St. John of Rochester began to co-sponsor the ministry. Saint's Place uses five rooms of St. John of Rochester Parish Center (our former school building) for both furniture and clothing storage. Many volunteers meet each morning Monday-Thursday to sort and prepare the clothing and goods for distribution to arriving refugees. Your participation in this ministry is always welcome, just walk in, call or follow the web link on this page for more information.
With your help and prayers we can continue to create comfortable homes for refugees seeking asylum in the United States.
Saint's Place has three specific programs which assist newly arrived legal refugees in the Rochester area. We help over 1250 refugees on a yearly basis. They arrive with virtually the shirt on their backs and devastating memories of war, famine or ethnic cleansing. They have left their country and families in hope of finding a better life in the United States.
We provide the refugees with clothing against the harsh winters of Rochester as well as seasonal clothing located at St. John of Rochester. Each refugee is personally assisted by a volunteer. Dignity is the operative word at Saint's Place.
We provide household setups for the refugees' apartments. Each refugee receives a new bed, frame, pillow and bedding together with all of the other necessary household items to transform a place into their home. Each year we set up over 250-300 apartments.
We conduct tutorial programs at The Greek Orthodox Church of the Holy Spirit and Guardian Angel Church. Adults learn to speak English and are educated on how to apply for jobs, citizenship exams, etc. School age children receive help with their homework. We tutor over 100 refugees a week.
For more information on volunteering or donation, go to
