Refugee Co-Sponsorship
First Congregational United Church of Christ
in Guilford, CT recently welcomed refugee families from the Sudan
and Kosovo.
Photo: CWS/Mel Lehman
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You and your congregation can take part in making an important difference in the lives of refugees through co-sponsorship. Your congregation may have previously co-sponsored refugees and is thinking about doing so again, or it may be thinking about co-sponsorship for the first time. In all cases, it is important to understand what is involved in co-sponsoring a refugee.
Refugee co-sponsors have three general responsibilities. They act as guides, friends and advocates to those newly arrived in the United States. In all cases, their overall goal is to assist refugees, as necessary, to become self-sufficient as soon as possible.
- As guides, co-sponsoring congregations play a key role in ensuring that refugees become self-sufficient. Co-sponsors supply initial food and clothing to refugees and arrange for their temporary housing. They introduce refugees to U.S. culture and acquaint them with important aspects of life in America. They help and encourage them to gain access to community services, including health care. They further assist refugees with job applications, applications for Social Security cards, school registration, enrollment in English classes and other procedures complicated to newcomers.
- Most importantly, the co-sponsoring church befriends refugees.
They are among the first to welcome refugees into their new community
and offer them friendship, emotional support and encouragement as they
leave behind their homelands and adjust to U.S. culture. Co-sponsoring
congregations also learn about and share in the cultural heritage of
refugees and support the honoring of their customs and traditions.
- As advocates, co-sponsoring churches act to ensure that refugees are not exploited, discriminated against or taken advantage of in the workplace or in their personal lives. In this role, co-sponsors encourage refugees to connect with other refugees in their community for mutual support and to network with other groups to foster multi-cultural communication and understanding.
Who can co-sponsoring churches look to for guidance and assistance? From the day a congregation decides to co-sponsor a refugee, it works in partnership with a local affiliate office and the national denomination assigned to the case. Affiliate staff assist sponsors by providing instruction, information and advice on an ongoing basis. They maintain close contact with the congregation and regularly follow up on cases.
"What will co-sponsorship cost?" A congregation that co-sponsors refugees pools its resources to provide for refugees so that co-sponsorship does not entail a significant cost to any individual. The affiliate office and co-sponsoring denomination also provide support for the resettlement process.
Also see Resources for Refugee Sponsors