What Is Sponsorship?
Through the Welcome Corps, you’ll work on a team of at least five people to sponsor a refugee or refugee family and help them transition to life in your community. This means helping with things like finding and furnishing an apartment, getting a job, enrolling kids in school, and accessing community services. Your group can be matched with an individual/family or you can apply to sponsor someone you know.
Sponsor spotlight
"Creating a home is about the people and the feeling"
Edwige, alongside six other members of the Mission Maranatha Church, formed a Welcome Corps sponsor group to welcome Ibrahim to Boston, MA in July 2023.
What to expect as a sponsor
Sponsor groups provide practical support alongside hope, possibility, and a sense of belonging for a refugee’s first 90 days in the United States.
We recognize this is a big commitment. Throughout your time with the Welcome Corps, you will receive ongoing guidance, including access to tools, resources, and fundraising support. You’ll also be paired with a trusted resettlement organization that will provide ongoing, step-by-step support whenever you need it.
Interested in learning more?
Watch an information session with Welcome Corps experts and learn more about the program.
Anyone can do it
We’ve seen iconic service organizations, faith institutions, veterans’ groups, diaspora groups, and everyday Americans across the country stepping up to welcome Afghans, Congolese, Venezuelans, Colombians, and others. Sponsors come from many different backgrounds but meet these simple criteria:
- Sponsor groups must have a minimum of five members over the age of 18.
- Everyone in your group must be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident.
- Members must live in the same community or close to where you want to sponsor a refugee.
Considering applying?
If you’re a good neighbor, guide, and friend, you already have all the skills you need to succeed as a sponsor. Learn more about the application process.