- A group opportunity. Invite your friends.
Welcome a refugee family to your community. Special Funding now available.
ORGANIZATION: WELCOMENST INC
Please visit the new page to apply.
- A group opportunity. Invite your friends.
MEET WELCOMENST
Welcome! We’re WelcomeNST, a non-profit organization based outside Boston, MA. We exist to harness the power of community (with Neighborhood Support Teams) to create a safe haven for refugee families from around the globe. We work with families, neighbors, clubs, and faith communities to guide and assist them in their leadership role of welcoming and supporting refugees starting new lives in the U.S.
WHAT WE DO
Simply put: We do private resettlement for refugees.
Private resettlement has been a game changer! It allows us to welcome and assist refugees by collaborating as a community team (not a public program) to offer refuge in our neighborhoods. The U.S. Department of State cited private resettlement as 'the boldest innovation in refugee resettlement in four decades.’ We’re proud to be a leader in this movement.
Our role is to recruit leaders in the community - people who deeply care about the plight of refugees worldwide and are motivated to take action and help. Our leaders are the movers and shakers, the problem solvers and cheerleaders. They are the doers who know how to plow through unknowns to get things done!
Our leaders are connected. They recruit teams of reliable neighbors and assign them tasks to complete. They ensure everyone stays on schedule and that a home is ready for the refugee family they are matched with.
WHAT NST LEADERS DO
Neighborhood Support Team leaders are crucial to the overall process. They are the 'hub’ at the center of the NST wheel collaborating and managing each 'spoke,’ representing the key tasks that must be completed for the family to thrive in the U.S.
Neighborhood Support Team leaders will engage their community and lead a team to prepare a new life for a refugee family, including:
- Raising funds to cover expenses for a 90-day period*
- Finding safe, affordable housing in your community
- Securing transportation, jobs, benefits, etc.
- Lining up any necessary job training, language classes, etc.
- Enrolling the kids in schools and local activities
- Stocking the house with furniture, food, clothing, and other necessities
- Welcoming the family at the airport, introducing them to your community and walking by their side until they are self-sufficient, usually a 90-day period
*Thanks to the generous support of private donors, a Sponsor Fund has been established to help support new Neighborhood Support Teams. For a limited time, the Sponsor Fund will cover 60% of the initial financial requirement needed to apply for sponsoring a refugee family. This means that newly formed Neighborhood Support Teams (NSTs) will receive $1,455 per refugee welcomed. This funding gives you a huge headstart in welcoming a new family to your community and can help with things like securing housing and basic necessities like furniture, household goods, groceries, clothing and more. The Sponsor Fund is available for a limited time, so ACT NOW!
HOW WELCOMENST WILL SUPPORT YOU
WelcomeNST assigns a mentor to guide NST leaders through the process to:
- Be their go-to person as the leader prepares to welcome a refugee family
- Provide training, resources and info a team needs to welcome a family to their community
- Connect teams to other teams who have done this important work before to brainstorm, collaborate and learn
BECOME A TEAM LEAD
This typically requires a 3-6 month time commitment, although the hours per week will vary. As the family's main point of contact, you will be a source of guidance, companionship, and encouragement. The work you do will change not only the life of the refugee family but will have a profound impact on your own life and on everyone involved in the community effort. This is a unique opportunity to create lasting bonds, break down cultural barriers, and bring hope and stability to those in need.
CLICK I WANT TO HELP or visit welcomenst.org to get started
9 More opportunities with WELCOMENST INC
Opportunities
About WELCOMENST INC
Location:
225 Cedar Hill Street Suite 200, Marlborough, MA 01752, US
Mission Statement
Harnessing the power of community to provide refuge to refugees.
Description
In August 2021, in response to the evacuation of 80,000 refugees from Afghanistan, Elizabeth Davis-Edwards, a long time advocate for refugees, quit her job as a marketing executive and formed WelcomeNST to engage communities to help resettle refugee families. More broadly, she dreamed of pioneering a community-powered model for refugee resettlement. In the months that followed, WelcomeNST engaged over 3000 American families from around the U.S. to form Neighborhood Support Teams (NSTs) to welcome 700 refugees to the U.S. Today, WelcomeNST enables everyday Americans to offer refuge to refugee families from Ukraine, Venezuela, Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua and around the world, proving once again that, when crisis hits, Americans will step up and meet the moment.
CAUSE AREAS
WHEN
WHERE
Seattle, WA 98102
DATE POSTED
October 29, 2024
SKILLS
- Social Media / Blogging
- Fundraising
- CSR / Volunteer Coordination
- People Skills
- Project Management
- Verbal / Written Communication
GOOD FOR
- People 55+
- Public Groups
REQUIREMENTS
- Driver's License Needed
- Background Check
- Must be at least 25
- Orientation or Training
- 6-12 months, averaging around 10-20 hours per week during the family’s first 30 days. The weekly hours may vary based on the involvement of other team members and specific family needs, typically decreasing over time.
- In this role, you’ll take the lead in assembling and managing a dedicated community team to support a refugee family’s resettlement. You’ll coordinate the recruitment of volunteers to help with essentials like housing, employment, transportation, and