Welcome

Dear Sponsor,

Thank you for volunteering to participate in Commonwealth Catholic Charities’ Community Sponsorship program. We are grateful for your assistance in helping us welcome our refugee neighbors. Your guidance as families acclimate to not only a new home but a new language and culture is invaluable. There are many challenges ahead for the families we serve, but with the help of volunteers like you, we can work together to make sure refugee families have the resources they need to overcome obstacles and thrive in our communities.

This manual will guide you through the Community Sponsorship program, highlighting resources and information to better inform your work with refugee families. Please ensure all volunteers review it in its entirety. Refugees have arrived here because horrific circumstances have forced them from their home countries. We may never be able to understand or relate to what they have experienced in the past, but we can welcome each person with open arms. Thank you for honoring individual cultures and traditions, affirming each person’s talents and strengths, and giving families the opportunity to flourish and grow.

Your generosity and commitment are vital to the people we serve. On behalf of Commonwealth Catholic Charities, thank you for being committed to providing quality compassionate human services to all people, especially the most vulnerable, regardless of faith.

With gratitude,

Jason “Jay” Brown Chief Executive Officer