Announcement
Photo obtained with the permission of the children's parents as well as the Case Worker pictured
Before the Refugee Act of 1980, standardized refugee resettlement through the use of resettlement agencies, such as the International Rescue Committee, was largely conducted privately or through community groups.
With both the recent increase in numbers and the enthusiasm of local community groups wanting to partner in resettling refugees, IRC is committed to integrating community sponsorship programming at the local and national levels.
What is Community Sponsorship? What is Co-Sponsorship?
- Community sponsorship is the umbrella term which refers to different models of refugee resettlement that pairs clients (refugees, SIVs, parolees) with community groups who provide clearly defined financial and in-kind contributions and volunteer services.
- Co-sponsorship is a form of Community sponsorship. In this model, the co-sponsor group is within 100 miles of the local IRC office and provides the clearly defined financial and in kind contributions and volunteer services to clients, while efforts are overseen by the local IRC office. As a result, the quality of life for refugee families is immeasurably enhanced.
Co-sponsors can take many forms including local clubs, faith-based institutions, community groups, and many more. Co-sponsors do not need to be a formal 501c3 but must be structured.
If your group is interested in learning more about community sponsorship and the co-sponsorship model, contact us at [email protected]