The US Conference of Catholic Bishops through the Catholic Campaign for Human Development recognized ARISE as serving over 5,000 women and children at any given time, "helping the people of the Rio Grande Valley participate in processes that promote their rights and dignity as human beings."[4] In 2015 the Building Community Workshop of Dallas, a secular organization, added founder Gerrie Naughton to a set of trading cards it prints to honor "heroes of the Rio Grande Valley."[5] ARISE gives the Gerrie Naughton Award annually in her honor. In 2024 MacKenzie Scott's foundation granted ARISE $2 million, the largest gift in its history.[6]
The Rio Grande Guardian did a five-part series on Sr. Naughton, ARISE, and the work of its all-woman team.[7][8] ARISE was featured on CNN's The Lead with Jake Tapper in 2023.[9] In 2020 Glamour magazine profiled ARISE.[10] It is the subject of a colonias project begun at Southwest Texas State University, which today is Texas State University.[11]
Sister Norma Pimentel, executive director of Catholic Charities of the Rio Grande Valley, who in 2020 was in the Time 100, works closely with ARISE.[12] Every week ARISE volunteers from the colonias go to the Catholic Charities Respite Center and assist migrants with their visas.[10] The center helps them get safely to sponsoring families and organizations.
ARISE is regularly featured or mentioned in many English- and Spanish-language newspapers in and around the Rio Grande Valley. Examples include the Rio Grande Guardian (multiple features), El Paso Times (multiple features), and ValleyCentral.com.[13][14][15] ARISE has been in the Catholic media, including Global Sisters Report, Our Sunday Visitor, and the Sacred Heart publications King Street Chronicle and Sacred Heart Greenwich.[16][17] ARISE has also been featured on the popular podcast "A Nun's Life," sponsored by five congregations of women religious and regularly featured in Global Sisters Report.[18]