Resources for Community Partners and Sponsors

Jacqueline (center) shares a Congolese meal with her friends, Chris Johnson, 65, Jenny Hirst, 55, Janna Brown, 29, and Charlie, 16. Jacqueline Uwumeremyi, 43, fled the Democratic Republic of Congo to South Africa in 1998 because of escalating violence. In South Africa, Jacqueline faced constant xenophobia and feared for her and her family's safety.

Resources for Community Partners and Sponsors

Cultural Orientation is a continuous and ongoing process for newcomers resettling to the United States.  As such, opportunities to deliver key Cultural Orientation messages are not limited to resettlement staff. Receiving communities, including community partners and sponsors (e.g. support teams, co-sponsors, and sponsor circles), also play an important role in delivering key Cultural Orientation messages. This page provides resources for community partners and sponsors, including materials to use with newcomers.

Featured Resource

Cultural Orientation Toolkit for Community Partners and Sponsors

Featured Resource

Cultural Orientation Toolkit for Community Partners and Sponsors

This toolkit teaches community partners and sponsors how to incorporate key Cultural Orientation messages while providing direct resettlement services to newcomers during their first 90 days. The toolkit provides guidance on how to incorporate Cultural Orientation messages into 25 early resettlement services. Integrating Cultural Orientation throughout the service period will help newcomers retain the information that is essential to adapt to their new lives and achieve self-sufficiency. Sponsors may use the CO activities checklist to track which activities group members facilitate. 

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Defining Community Partners and Sponsors 

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Am I a community partner?

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Resources for Sponsors

Once you complete the mandatory trainings required to be certified and serve as a sponsor, you should: 

Sponsorship Orientation

1. Complete CORE’s Sponsorship Orientation. During the course, you will learn the foundational knowledge you need to deliver effective Cultural Orientation. The course includes 7 modules and will take 4 hours to complete. 
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Onboarding Checklist for Sponsors

2. For community groups that sponsor newcomers in collaboration with a Resettlement Agency, review the Onboarding Checklist for Sponsors.
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Sign Up for CORE’s Newsletter

3. Sign-up for CORE’s newsletters to receive more resources and tips for new CO providers. 
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Resources for Newcomers

The term newcomer includes refugees, Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) holders and humanitarian parolees from Afghanistan. Community partners and sponsors should review and share CORE’s Settle In resources with newcomers. Be sure to explore these resources before introducing them to newcomers. This will help you answer their questions. Newcomers can access CORE’s multilingual Settle In resources through a website, app, and social media.  

Settle In U.S. Website

Using videos, podcasts and fact sheets, the Settle In U.S. website provides newcomers with clear and vital U.S. resettlement and Cultural Orientation information in an engaging and interactive way. This resource is available in English, Arabic, Burmese, Dari, Kinyarwanda, Pashto, Spanish, Swahili and Russian. 
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Settle In App

The Settle In mobile and desktop app is the perfect travel companion for newcomers during their resettlement journey to the United States. It provides short videos, interactive lessons, and badges to reward and track learning progress. This resource is available in English, Arabic, Burmese, Dari, Kinyarwanda, Pashto, Spanish, Swahili and Russian. 
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Settle In Facebook

Settle In Facebook is designed to directly engage newcomers from Afghanistan resettling in the United States. This platform serves as another touchpoint for CORE to directly disseminate essential, correct information tied to early resettlement services and key Cultural Orientation messages. This resource is available in Dari and Pashto.
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Additional Resources

Destination Guides: These guides provide information on mosques, halal grocery stores, social services, and programming in local communities. These guides are available for the regions listed below.

Northeast:

South:

Midwest:

West:

Disclaimer: Destination Guides were developed by the Department of Homeland Security as a part of the response to the Operation Allies Welcome Mission. The documents, including organizations and businesses listed, do not necessarily represent endorsement and should not assume endorsement by the Federal Government per 5 CFR § 2635.702.