World Relief Spokane Applauds Creation of the Welcome Corps, A New Refugee Private Sponsorship Program

CONTACT:

Barbara Comito

bcomito@wr.org
Pinkston Team
wr@pinkston.co

Media welcome: Monday, January 30 at 5 p.m. World Relief Spokane will hold an informational meeting on the Biden Administration’s new Welcome Corps at 1522 N Washington Street. Come learn more about this new program, what it means for refugees and other newcomers, what it means for community members, and how World Relief Spokane plans to support the effort.

This week the State Department launched the Welcome Corps, a new refugee private sponsorship program that will allow everyday Americans to privately sponsor refugees coming to the United States. This new program will expand community support for refugees and also eventually allow private citizens to sponsor refugees they identify abroad to be resettled to the United States. World Relief Spokane applauds this effort and is eager to partner with the U.S. government and the Spokane community to welcome refugees, both through our own refugee resettlement program and the new private sponsorship program.

The Welcome Corps has a goal to mobilize at least 10,000 Americans to partner with members of their communities to help refugees secure initial housing in the U.S., greet them at the airport, enroll children in school, and help adults to find employment. World Relief is committed to assisting the Welcome Corps reach that goal.

“The Spokane community is an extremely welcoming community,” said Executive Director Christi Armstrong. “Over the course of the past 30 years, World Relief Spokane has resettled more than 11,000 men, women and children. We eagerly endorse all the ways the community partners with us to make this a safe home for people fleeing violence and persecution.”

Through the Welcome Corps, groups of at least five individual American citizens or permanent resident adults are able to apply to privately sponsor refugees resettling to the United States. Private sponsors are responsible for independently raising funds to support refugees for their first 90 days in their new community, as well as helping refugees find housing, employment, and connecting them to community services.

For more information on the Welcome Corps, please attend the informational meeting on Monday, January 30, 5 p.m., at World Relief Spokane, 1522 N Washington Street. You can also find a wealth of information on the  Welcome Corps website. Further information and education is also available on the World Relief website. We encourage churches, individuals, and other community organizations to explore these resources for more information and reach out with any questions or concerns.