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Embracing our brothers and sisters from the suffering church
Embracing our brothers and sisters from the suffering church
Responsibilities of a Sponsor
What is a sponsoring church responsible for?
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A sponsorship church commits to helping the refugee(s) integrate into life in Canada for a period of twelve months. This is a legal commitment. They form a settlement team and provide financial and non-financial support throughout the first year the newcomers are in Canada.
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Funds for the newcomer's income support during their settlement year needs to be raised before the application is submitted to the IRCC. The Canadian government sets minimum amounts of funds required, which varies depending on where the refugee(s) settles within Canada.
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The church settlement team is responsible for a number of tasks: greeting the refugee(s) at the airport, providing housing, furnishings, household essentials, food, clothing, and other basic necessities. The team will assist them as they get oriented to their new community. Among other activities, they will help them with banking, employment, filling out forms for health cards and social insurance cards, registering them or their children in schools or language classes, and connecting them with medical professionals.
How does Remember Ministries help in the sponsorship process?
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Every sponsorship is unique just as the needs of every refugee and every church will be unique. We are committed to working with each church to develop the best plan for them and for the refugee(s).
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Here are some of the ways we can help:
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Guiding the church through the sponsorship process, from the first steps of filling out paperwork until the end of the 12 months of settlement
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Providing the SAH spots needed for each sponsorship
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Meeting with church leaders and volunteers (often virtually) to share the vision of why sponsorship is an amazing opportunity, explain the sponsorship process, and answer questions.
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Providing resources and/or training for the settlement team on: the ethics of settlement, being aware of the inherent power imbalance, cultural sensitivities and managing expectations
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