Announcement
The U.S. government responded to this past year’s crises by welcoming 76,000 people forced to flee Afghanistan—the largest evacuation of its kind since the Vietnam War—and committing to accepting 100,000 refugees from Ukraine, as well as raising the refugee resettlement ceiling to 125,000 for fiscal year 2023.
As a way of tackling the ongoing displacement crisis and issues faced by these clients, the IRC is focusing on community engagement to help with the integration of resettled refugees into our local communities through a new Community Sponsorship program.
The Community Sponsorship program invites the community to a deeper relationship with people resettling to Utah!
Photo: IRC
What is Community Sponsorship?
Community Sponsorship is a shared endeavor. Small groups—Welcome Teams—within the community work together to prepare for and welcome a refugee family to their local area. This model relies on harnessing the power of a private/public partnership between community volunteers and our agency to ensure the independence and self-sufficiency of our new neighbors.
Welcome Teams will play a key role in helping refugees resettle into their new community. Community sponsors advance the role of communities in the protection, resettlement, and integration of refugees and other vulnerable populations. As a Welcome Team, local community members commit to providing, in a non-legally binding agreement, clearly defined in-kind and financial contributions and the majority of basic services to support a refugee’s welcome and integration in partnership with the IRC.
Benefits of Community Sponsorship
Not only does forming a Welcome Team offer you a chance to bring positive change to your community, but you are also becoming a part of a larger global community that is helping to bring awareness to the plight of people seeking refuge.
True integration is not something that can be taught or learned from books; it requires personal interaction and building relationships with people in the community. The Community Sponsorship program helps to create these personal connections.
With Community Sponsors, refugees receive far more personal support than one caseworker can deliver alone, and as a result, the quality of life for refugee families is immeasurably enhanced.
Help Refugees:
- Navigate the Community
- Access Medical Care
- Achieve Food Security
- Find Jobs
- Build a Future
How Do I Start or Join a Welcome Team in Salt Lake City?
Requirements:
- Be located within 50 miles of the IRC (221 S 400 W) in Salt Lake City.
- Form a team of 6 - 10 dedicated volunteers with a variety of skill sets and flexible schedules.
- Be available to deliver support to the family during business hours (when many of their appointments are scheduled).
- Raise $3,500 to support the family you will be working with. This sum can be comprised, in part, of in-kind donations, and will supplement other benefits the family receives.
- Provide in-kind donations for household and personal needs.
- Commit to six months of on-going education, mentorship and client support.
- All volunteers must submit a background check and proof of COVID-19 vaccinations.
- Participate in regular check-in sessions with IRC staff.
- Team leader(s) will sign a non-legally binding Co-Sponsorship agreement with IRC.
Core Services
Core Services: When a refugee family lands at Salt Lake City International Airport, the welcome team will be there to pick them up. The Team will
take them to their new apartment and provide a warm, culturally-appropriate meal for their first night in their new home as well as culturally-appropriate groceries for the weeks to come. The welcome team’s support will continue from Day 1 as the family’s basic needs are addressed.
This includes services like:
- Transportation to public benefit enrollment appointments, doctor appointments, and the IRC office,
- Orientation on how to use public transportation and pay bills,
- Assistance finding employment and practicing English,
- And more
Next Steps:
- Visit https://www.rescue.org/united-states/salt-lake-city-ut to learn more about resettlement and IRC programs in Utah!
- Submit an IRC Salt Lake City Welcome Team Interest Form
- Attend an information session with IRC's Community Sponsorship Manager, Kristi Haycock
- Complete an IRC Salt Lake City Welcome Team Application
- Review the IRC Community Sponsorship Manuel
- Schedule an interview session with IRC's Community Sponsorship manager, Kristi Haycock
Contact
For more information about Welcome Team opportunities with the IRC in Salt Lake City, please contact Community Sponsorship Manager, Kristi Haycock, at [email protected].
Take a look at our FAQ with Kristi Hackock here: Kristi Haycock FAQ.
Community Sponsorship team in Utah shares their welcome story: Read more »
Read more about Community Sponsorship in this Washington Post article!