FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Saturday, June 4, 2022
MEDIA CONTACT: Stephany Newburn, Home for Refugees USA (s.newburn@hfrusa.org)
(New York, New York) – The Sponsor Circle Program has begun this week accepting applications for Uniting for Ukraine sponsor support. More than 14 million Ukrainians have been displaced by the current conflict, including over six million refugees that have fled the country. Americans can respond by sponsoring Ukrainians in need of safety to come to the United States, and can access Sponsor Circle Program for guidance, support, and other resources.
Through Uniting for Ukraine, Ukrainians can come to the United States for a temporary period of two years with the support of a sponsor who agrees to provide them financial support for the duration of their stay in the United States, as well as offer them support with such tasks as securing initial housing, enrolling children in school, and finding employment. For sponsors who want support in navigating the sponsorship process, there is Sponsor Circle Program. The Sponsor Circle Program requires that sponsors form a group of at least five people, complete background checks, complete training, and develop a welcome plan, detailing how they will support the newcomers in carrying out initial tasks. Once these requirements are completed, sponsor circles can be connected to an organization that will provide them with guidance and support for the first six months of sponsorship. Sponsor Circles also have access to other resources that you can read about here.
The Sponsor Circle Program was launched on October 25, 2021 by the Community Sponsorship Hub (CSH) and is carried out by a growing coalition of partners, like Home for Refugees USA, dedicated to expanding U.S. capacity to welcome by mobilizing community members interested and willing to support newcomers. To date, more than 2,000 Americans have formed sponsor circles across the country, supporting Afghans arriving through Operation Allies Welcome. The welcome of Afghans by sponsor circles continues.
“The American public is eager to welcome and we are here to support them in that work.” said Sarah Krause, Executive Director of Community Sponsorship Hub. “We have worked diligently to expand the Sponsor Circle Program to support those sponsoring through Uniting for Ukraine, while also ensuring that it supports those sponsoring arriving Afghans. We look forward to the launch of a permanent private sponsorship program, allowing Americans to welcome refugees from around the world.”
The Sponsor Circle program offers a unique opportunity for Americans to support Ukrainians fleeing the current conflict and seeking refuge in the United States. Drawing upon deep expertise, this program provides essential tools and assistance that ensures Americans are equipped to successfully engage in sponsorship.
Home for Refugees USA seeks to establish collaborative relationships between faith groups and community groups and refugees in order for refugees to achieve a sense of feeling at home in their new communities. We do this through training and coaching Community Sponsorship Teams, which we call Home Teams. Home for Refugees USA partners with Community Sponsorship Hub’s Sponsor Circle Program, refugee resettlement agencies, and asylum immigration organizations to resettle families that are forcibly displaced from their home countries. Our purpose is to offer support to help relieve the tragedy of displacement and loss for families and individuals having to leave a place they once called home and help them regain independent and self-sufficient living as they create their new home in the U.S.
To learn more about Home for Refugees USA’s Community Sponsorship Hub’s Sponsor Circle Program, email info@homeforrefugeesusa.org.
