The Road to Self Sufficiency: RST’s Co-Sponsorship Program
By Suzanne Heritage, Co Sponsorship Program Intern
For a newly arrived refugee family or individual, the first thirty days in the United States can be quite an overwhelming experience. Faced with leaving their entire lives behind in their home country, refugees must begin anew in orienting themselves to a different country, culture, and community. Refugee Services of Texas seeks to ease and assist this vulnerable time of transition through the provision of essential resettlement services. In doing so, Refugee Services of Texas operates under the paradigm of a public-private partnership: Working hand in hand with local faith based organizations and community volunteers, Refugee Services of Texas and our partners provide support in assisting displaced persons to achieve self sufficiency.
RST’s Co-Sponsorship Program is an initiative to engage the local community in refugees’ plight. Co-Sponsorship offers a unique experience to walk along side a refugee family through the first thirty days of their new life in the United States. Together with RST, our co-sponsors assist with initial core services provided to incoming refugees. These services include assuring decent, safe, and sanitary housing; essential furnishings and clothing; referral to appropriate health programs and screening; assistance in applying for social security cards and in registering children for school; and transport to job interviews, as well as job training. Co-Sponsors also provide bus and community orientations and opportunity for cultural exchange. Refugee Services of Texas co-sponsors are well-trained by our dedicated case managers and staff, who are readily available to provide guidance and support throughout the co-sponsorship process.
Our mission at Refugee Services of Texas is to see fulfilled self-sufficiency in the lives of our clients. We firmly believe that independence is the key to empowerment. Co-sponsors are highly influential in assisting refugees to understand their new local community. Additionally, co-sponsors benefit from the experience. As one co-sponsor commented, “Getting to know people of such different backgrounds and life experiences was very rewarding.” Additionally, previous co-sponsors groups communicated that the mentorship was really an equal exchange, as refugees have an abundance to teach Austinites!
Please contact Amanda Posson at rstau@sbcglobal.net to begin your journey of refugee co-sponsorship today!