Announcement
The community sponsorship program at the International Rescue Committee (IRC) in Salt Lake City launched in March 2022 with support from The Shapiro Foundation, building a robust foundation that resulted in the first sponsor team connection in November 2022. The pilot program enables community members to provide hands-on, comprehensive support of refugee resettlement processes in a more direct way! Groups of 6-10 people come together to support a refugee family or individual resettling in Utah. Throughout a six-month time period, the team works together to support the newly arrived family while they adapt to life in the United States and settle into their new home.
The first community sponsorship team has been working with a family from Egypt and has found the experience to be a unique opportunity to support the refugee and new American community in Utah. Eric Goldman, the team’s leader and former volunteer at the IRC in Salt Lake City, learned of the community sponsorship program last summer. He was able to gather a group of interested people through his local church congregation to join him in sponsoring a family. The members of the team include Robert Mayer, Carol Blackwell, Stephen Trimble, Joanne Slotnik, Kim Selzman, James Gebhardt, Mary Gibson, and others.
Eric Goldman, Robert Mayer, Carol Blackwell, Stephen Trimble, Joanne Slotnik, Kim Selzman, James Gebhardt, Mary Gibson, and others wait at the Salt Lake City airport to meet the arriving refugee family!
Photo: Community sponsorship
“Community sponsorship is somewhat of an extension of the IRC,” said Kristi Haycock, community sponsorship program manager, “the community members act as a kind of caseworker for the family.”
Traditionally, a family coming to Utah with support from the IRC will receive one caseworker to support them as they settle in. Through community sponsorship, the family is paired with a team of people—overseen by Kristi and a designated caseworker—to welcome the family and provide services to meet federal standards. This increases capacity for the community sponsorship team to engage in more activities with a newly arrived family while expanding the IRC’s capacity to serve other families arriving to Utah.
The IRC works as a liaison and technical support between the community sponsor team and the newly arrived family. “The IRC provides access to public benefits, school enrollment, cash assistance programs, and other essential services. The community sponsor teams act as the eyes and ears that check in with the family’s everyday needs, and provide access to needed resources that come along the way,” said Kristi Haycock.
Eric Goldman and the other community sponsor team members saw this program as an opportunity to make a difference and give back to the community. After spending close to six months with their sponsor family, they have found it to be an educational and emotionally involved experience. Carol Blackwell, a former educator, recalled the excitement she felt when she was able to enroll the youngest child into kindergarten on a full scholarship.
“I have learned so much about compassion through this experience. It is so rewarding to live out their success moments with them,” said Carol.
The community sponsorship team commits to supporting the family financially during their first months post-resettlement as well as volunteering their time and energy to the family they are paired with. The group has had fun taking them to University of Utah basketball games, going sledding, sharing meals, and planting daffodils in the family’s front yard. The commitment to supporting a family is full and comes with challenges, but the rewards have been a new and lasting relationship with their new neighbors.
The community sponsorship team plants daffodils in the front yard of the family's home.
Photo: Community sponsorship team
The community sponsorship team provided sleds for the kids in the family to take to the Salt Lake City snow!
Photo: Community sponsorship team
“This experience dramatically deepens your understanding of the challenges refugees face. The number of things they have to learn from language, schooling, healthcare, transportation, and day-to-day struggles never occurred to me. And above all, they still have the spirit to do it all! It is so humbling and life-changing,” said Joanne Slotnik. Being a welcoming neighbor is a lifelong commitment to the community. For this group, they truly want to see the family succeed in the United States and reach self-sufficiency.
The IRC in Salt Lake City is hoping to recruit 8 new community sponsor groups this year! If you or someone you know would be interested, learn more & start your community sponsorship journey here »
Note: the resettled family requested that their name and identifying images not be shared with the public to protect their privacy.