Co-Sponsor Team: High Priority Need

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If you are interested in assisting a newly arriving refugee family start a new life here in our Dallas neighborhood please consider being part of a Co-Sponsor Team.

Co-Sponsor Teams require anywhere between 4 -10 members, with one person willing to take a "Lead" position. A Co-sponsor team can be formed with: church members; a social service group like The Rotary Club; a group of co-workers; Sorority/Fraternity, etc. Teams provide both pre-arrival and post-arrival duties.

Pre-Arrival: Once a refugee family has been identified the team starts to collect furniture (sofa, table/chairs, lamps, alarm clocks); food staples (flour, sugar, dry beans, rice, cooking oil, tea bags); household goods for kitchen, bath and bedrooms such as: shower curtain/hooks; dishes; trash cans; cleaning supplies; personal hygiene goods;blankets/pillows/bed linens; towels, etc.

When RST receives their 1st arrival notice, assist staff in setting up apartment and going to the airport to greet and transport them back to new apartment.

Post-arrival - Mentoring: Now that the family has arrived, the Mentoring begins - see the following examples:

• Assist them in either learning basic conversational English (resources to assist in this will be provided) or improve their English speaking skills. They may also need to learn about our Money system.
• Show them how to: store food properly, how to keep their apartment clean and free of bugs, help with safety tips and 911 services.
• Share time together: take them on a picnic, to obtain library card, cook and share a meal teeter, where to set thermostat to save energy any $, etc.
• Take them to the grocery store and how to shop wisely at discount or thrift stores.
• Assist school aged children with homework
• Teach problem solving skills and assist in understanding the small, routine activities that we American take for granted.

Requirements:

• Visit at least once a week but twice a week is better
• Able to make a minimal commitment of 4 months but longer if able
• Mentors can set their visiting schedule according to their availability: evenings or weekends.
• Attend Orientation Training
• Provide your phone number so we can contact you

If interested, contact: Mercedes Deviney, Volunteer Coordinator, mdeviney@rstx.org or 214-821-4883