Community Sponsorship is a new program at the International Rescue Committee (IRC) in Salt Lake City! This program gives the community a chance to be involved with the resettlement process in a hands-on way. We sat down with Kristi Haycock, community sponsorship manager, about what is involved in community sponsorship, and how people can get started!

Q&A with Kristi Haycock, Community Sponsorship Manager

What is Community Sponsorship?

Community Sponsorship is a program in which refugee families are paired with community groups who commit to provide clearly defined in-kind and/or financial contributions as well as volunteer services to support the welcome and integration of the family in our local community. The IRC in Salt Lake City’s community sponsorship program started this year, but community sponsorship has existed in the U.S. for some time.  

How does the community sponsorship program work?

A co-sponsor team, comprised of 6–10 individuals, will work together to provide services and support to a newly arriving refugee family. While the refugee family will have an IRC caseworker, the co-sponsor team will be the family’s first point of contact including meeting them at the airport, assisting with their move to their new apartment, and providing rides to medical appointments and English classes, and more. The team will orient the family on how to use public transportation, where to find the nearest culturally-appropriate grocery store, and how to navigate their neighborhood. The group will also be tasked with other integration efforts like employment searches for adults and school enrollment for children. IRC staff will train and support the co-sponsor team so they can provide these services successfully. 

What is the time commitment?

A co-sponsor team commits to a minimum of six months of support to a refugee family.  Typically, co-sponsor team members should be available weekdays (Monday through Friday) during business hours in order to assist individuals with transport to appointments with doctors, employment specialists, government benefits, etc. Support can also be offered during the evenings and weekends for activities like grocery shopping, English practice, and public transportation orientation. 

What is the first step to becoming a community sponsor?

To get started, interested group members should attend an information session to learn more about the program. Then speak with your friends, family, coworkers, neighbors, civic or church group or other folks in your network to find individuals interested in the program. Once you have 6–10 people who would like to participate, the group will complete an application and submit it to IRC for evaluation and next steps. 

What are the group sizes?

A co-sponsor team typically consists of 6-10 members who provide focused support for the refugee family. This ensures the group can maintain support over six months, including accommodating flexible schedules. If the group is too large, there can often be challenges with scheduling and coordinating needed services among the group.  

Is there a financial commitment?

Yes, there is a financial commitment, although there are several ways to meet this need.  A donation of $3,500 is requested to meet some of the basic needs (like rent, furniture, utilities, etc.) of the sponsored family.  The $3,500 can be donated as cash or as a combination of cash and in-kind goods. Co-sponsor team members can raise these funds or receive donations (of gently used items) from their community, or both. I can provide you with a helpful fundraising guide that shares tips to make this effort more comfortable and successful. 

How do you know when you are assigned a family?

Once your co-sponsor team has been background-checked and trained, you’re ready to be matched with a family.  IRC staff typically are alerted weeks in advance to a refugee family’s arrival.  When a potential match between the co-sponsor team and a refugee family is identified, I will communicate with the Co-Sponsor Team Leader to share the news of the potential match and next steps.  

What are the duties of a community sponsor?

A community co-sponsor team will deliver the majority of basic or “core” services that a refugee family receives when they arrive in the United States through the federal Refugee Admissions Program. There are many ways to support refugees as they begin life in a new country, but the co-sponsor team will provide assistance in the form of transportation, setting up a new apartment, assistance with grocery shopping, school and English class registration, employment searches, neighborhood and public transportation orientation, and other activities that support the family as they integrate into their new community. 

Do I need to know another language? 

Language skills—in addition to English—are always helpful but not required. Interpretation resources can be provided to you, as needed, to aid effective communication with the refugee family. Certain activities will require interpretation to complete, and the IRC will help ensure interpretation is available.  

Where can I find more information?

You can find more information on our Community Sponsorship web page. If you would like to learn more about opportunities to become a community sponsor, email us at [email protected].