Make a world of a difference in the lives of refugees.  

Moving far away, learning a new language, and adjusting to a new culture are difficult things to do. Co-sponsor teams help alleviate those struggles by assisting with rent and basic needs and providing friendship to refugees when they arrive to the U.S.

GET THE DETAILS ON CO-SPONSORSHIP

Change their lives—and yours.
Co-sponsor teams play a critical role in helping refugees thrive in their new home. Your friendship and financial support can ensure a warm welcome and a strong start to life in the U.S.​

Make a Home (Optional)
Turn an apartment RefugeeOne secures into a home by stocking it with all the basics needed to make it a comfortable space.

Raise Support
Your team will raise $6,000-$10,000 to help with initial rent payments, bills, and household expenses as a family becomes independent.

Be a Friend
Visit with the family at least once a week for six months, building a relationship and helping them navigate the city and home life.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many people are on a co-sponsor team?

A co-sponsor team is generally 6-10 people, organized by a single team lead who acts as a liaison with RefugeeOne. The team will work together in preparation for a refugee family’s arrival, attend the airport arrival, then share the rotating responsibility of weekly visits to the family. You can form a team with your faith community, neighborhood group, alumni association, workplace, or just a group of your family and friends.
Of course, your "core team" of 6-10 people will likely draw on a much larger network to hit your fundraising goal and collect all the items needed to furnish an apartment. "It takes a village!”

I’m just an individual, can you add me to an existing co-sponsor team?

Unfortunately, RefugeeOne does not have the capacity to match individual volunteers with other teammates. Co-sponsorship is a large undertaking and requires a lot of teamwork and communication independent of RefugeeOne – we find it’s best that teams organize themselves and commit together to the work it will take to prepare for and welcome a refugee family.

Can I host a refugee family in my home?
Can you resettle a refugee family in my town/neighborhood?

RefugeeOne’s program model doesn’t work with any private residential hosts – we rent apartments in refugees’ names so they can begin living independently and building credit immediately upon arrival. Refugees’ apartments are generally located near RefugeeOne’s headquarters in Chicago’s West Ridge neighborhood. This allows families easy access to critical programs and services for their first year here, as well as a variety of culturally appropriate community resources.

How do you rent an apartment for someone who isn’t in the country yet?

As you can imagine, it’s not easy to find an affordable apartment available for rent to a family with no rental or credit history, and without immediate income when they arrive in Chicago! RefugeeOne has built relationships with local landlords who are willing to welcome our newest neighbors and give them the opportunity to call somewhere home again. (We’re always looking for additional housing contacts who are willing to rent to newcomers in Chicago’s West Ridge, Rogers Park, and Albany Park neighborhoods, or in nearby suburbs with public transit routes to our office, like Skokie and Evanston. You can email info@refugeeone.org with any leads.)

My team is from the suburbs, can we co-sponsor?

We’ve partnered with co-sponsor teams from all over Chicagoland! As long as you’re willing and able to travel to the city’s northside on a regular basis, you can co-sponsor. Teams located farther away typically create a rotating schedule for regular visits to divvy up the travel time. Of course, not everything can be scheduled and unpredictable situations are bound to arise – so the ability to be flexible and collaborate is key.

Can you match my team with a refugee family from [country]?

RefugeeOne doesn’t have control over arrival times or which families are referred for resettlement through our program. While we do consider your team’s language skills or cultural experience that may be of benefit to a family, we prioritize need rather than nationality and can’t guarantee any specific matches.

Is my co-sponsor team responsible for keeping and dispersing the funds we raise?

The money you raise for co-sponsorship will go directly to RefugeeOne. All gifts are tax-deductible and we’ll take care of receipting donors and dispersing funds for refugee program participants!

Questions? Interested in being a co-sponsor?
Fill out this short form!
​We'll reach out to you after that to talk more about the opportunity.

COVID-19 Vaccination Policy (as of November 8, 2021)
In order to help ensure the health and safety of the entire RefugeeOne community, all co-sponsor volunteers are required to submit proof of COVID-19 vaccination in order to volunteer in-person.

APARTMENT FURNISHING TEAMS

We have dozens of arrivals already scheduled for the coming weeks, which means lots of apartments to set up in short order!

​We’re looking for 10 volunteer teams this summer to collect furniture and household items to set up an apartment for an arriving refugee family.

What we’ll need from you:

• Collect apartment furnishings and store them to be move-in ready on short notice
• Clean the apartment, move in the items 2-3 days before a family arrives
• Stock 2-3 weeks of culturally appropriate groceries

RefugeeOne will provide: 

• Access to the rented apartment at least 24 - 48 hours before the family’s arrival
• A list of required household items, a culturally appropriate grocery list and grocers
• In-kind receipts as requested

Questions? Interested? Email cosponsor@refugeeone.org
with the subject line "Apartment Furnishing Team"