Our friends at Church World Service (CWS), the Durham refugee resettlement agency, are planning for the arrival of Afghan refugees, although they still don't know how many are coming, or when. They are looking for community sponsors, small groups of 8-10 people who will welcome people when they arrive and offer intensive support for 4-6 months, including finding & furnishing housing, providing basic assistance, initial groceries, help job hunting, and learning their way around Durham, and financial support for 4 months. The estimated financial commitment is around $5,000. The overall purpose of sponsorship is to support newcomers as they work toward their goals of self-sufficiency. We are hoping to form a small sponsorship team of ERUUF folks who want to be directly involved in such a project.
Diverse skills and kinds of support will be needed, from those who can spend face-to-face time with new arrivals, those who may have access to rental housing, as well as those who can offer financial support. Training and support from CWS will be provided. Of course, your donations of household items and furniture will also be needed, when we know more about those whom we will be sponsoring.
If you are interested in being involved in our effort, please fill out this short form so we have your name, contact info, and skills/interests. Together we believe we can indeed welcome and support these newcomers to our community. Questions? Contact Judy and Dennis McGrath, , , & Peggy Schaeffer, .
