Refugee & Immigration Services:  How You Can Help
   

About Us | Programs  | Homelands of Refugees  | How You Can Help | Success Stories | Contact Us
 
 

Become a Sponsor
 

Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service (LIRS) has a contract with the U.S. Department of State to provide basic needs and social services to refugees in their first month of arrival.  If a refugee family has relatives already living in the United States, the goal is to resettle them close together.  If the refugee has no relatives that can help, it becomes a "free case" and LIRS works through a local affiliate agency to secure successful resettlement.

Lutheran Social Services is consistently looking for congregational co-sponsors (of all denominations) for "free case" refugees who are Burmese, Somali Bantu from Somalia, Meskhetian Turks from Russia.  A co-sponsoring church is responsible for providing the initial basic needs of food and shelter, and then to assist the family as it works toward self-sufficiency.

To be an effective co-sponsor, churches need to have a dedicated group of about 8-12 people who will form a committee.  Our staff will work with this group by providing cultural orientations and biographical data.  It is our goal to provide churches with necessary resources and social networks to meet the requirements of the program.  Before the arrival of a refugee family that your congregation agrees to co-sponsor, the committee divides into sub-committees that assure the completion of specific tasks.  The co-sponsor acts as a mentor for a period of at least six months.  Examples of what a co-sponsors committee includes, but is not limited to:
  • Locating and furnishing a apartment or house
  • Meeting and welcoming the refugee family at the airport and into the community
  • Ensuring the refugee family has food and clothing for 30 days
  • Registering children in school and adults in English or technical classes
  • Providing access to community services and health care
  • Finding entry-level employment
  • Educating refugees about American customs and culture
  • Inviting families to social activities and community events

Sponsorship includes commitment and responsibilities, but it also gains satisfying rewards.  In providing the refugee family emotional support and guidance, members of the community gain unforgettable experiences in cross-cultural interaction.

For further information on sponsorship, contact the Community Resource / Sponsor Developer at (414) 325-3063.
   
  

 
 
   

Home |  About Us |  Find a Job  |  Find a Program
 Shared Ministry  |  Support Us  |  Contact Us