ARISE Adelante

ARISE Adelante is a nonprofit serving immigrant women and children in unincorporated colonias (very low-income, informal communities) in South Texas. ARISE stands for A Resource In Serving Equality. It was founded by Roman Catholic sister Gerrie Naughton in 1987 in conjunction with women from the local community. ARISE assists new members for a while, but then they must agree to volunteer back to the community, working in a distributive leadership model. Its motto, from its founder, is "ARISE does not do for the people what the people can do for themselves." It is cosponsored by the Sisters of Charity and the Sisters of Mercy of the Incarnate Word.