Welcome a refugee family to your community. Special Funding now available.

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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