Neighbor for Neighbor
Helping those of us already here.
Across the United States, millions of immigrants have entered through lawful humanitarian pathways (see: Distinguishing Lawful Humanitarian Pathways to the United States) and need critical resources and services to become self-sustainable in a foreign world. Many of these individuals bring valuable skills, training, and knowledge from their previous professions abroad; however, their credentials are not widely accepted by American employers. Most of these families have come with very little due to being forcibly displaced by war or persecution.
Nurturing Our Present Communities
Neighbor for Neighbor is a Community Sponsorship model by Patchwork Indy (see: What is Community Sponsorship?) intended to provide core services to asylees, asylum seekers, refugees, Temporary Protected Status holders, Afghan Special Immigrant Visa holders, and other newcomers already located in the United States for less than a year, to help these individuals and families go from thriving to surviving.
Those individuals and families assisted by Neighbor for Neighbor are referred to as "Beneficiaries." Beneficiaries will be paired with Neighbor Groups and individual volunteers who will dedicate their time to providing outlined core services to their Beneficiary neighbor for a minimum 90-day period.
Neighbor
for
Neighbor
"Sponsor"
-
A group or individual
-
18 years old or older
-
US Citizens or Permanent Residents (Green Card Holders)
-
Must pass a background check
-
Commit to supporting their Beneficiary pair for at least 90 days
-
Communicative and collaborative with each other and the Patchwork team
-
Able and willing to provide some of the core services to their Beneficiary pair based on their personal or collective capacities
"Beneficiary"
-
A family or individual
-
Belongs to one of the following immigrant statuses (and have paperwork proof):
-
Asylum Seeker
-
Temporary Protected Status
-
Refugee
-
Afghan SIV
-
-
Has lived in the United States for no more than 1 year since their initial arrival in the United States as one of the immigrant statuses listed.
-
In need of core services listed (Core Services)
*Priority will be given to children, elderly, and vulnerable individuals in need.
Core Services
By signing up and participating in Neighbor for Neighbor, Neighbor Groups, and individual applicants commit to providing some of the following core services, based on their personal capacity and resources, to the Beneficiary individual or family for a minimum period of 90 days:
-
Groceries
-
Rent
-
Household utilities
-
Necessary furniture and household goods
-
Interpreting and translating services
-
Assistance registering for applicable government assistance programs
-
Transportation
-
Enrolling children in school
-
Enrolling for government benefits
-
Keeping Beneficiary up to date with necessary legal and medical appointments
-
Enrolling adults in English classes (if needed)
-
Cultural orientation
-
Assist in fundraising efforts to provide for core services
The Sponsorship Process
1.
Application
Fill and submit sponsor or beneficiary application form.
4.
Training & Orientation
Sponsors will receive cultural orientation and training to prepare them for helping their Beneficiary neighbor. Beneficiary and Sponsors will have initial meet & greet to outline goals and expectations.
2.
Background Check & Interview
Our team will follow up with follow up interviews and any necessary background checks to evaluate beneficiary needs and sponsor applicant capacities.
5.
90-day Support Period
Sponsors will support a Beneficiary family or individual for a minimum period of 90 days.
3.
Sponsor & Beneficiary Matching
Once Sponsor and Beneficiary applications are accepted, we will match Sponsor and Beneficiaries for their 90-day support period.
6.
Monthly
check-ins and reviews
To make sure both parties are being adequately supported throughout the 90-day support period, our team will meet with both parties at least once a month.
Together, we help each other and make a difference in our
local communities
Thank you for wanting to learn more about Neighbor for Neighbor. If you have any further questions or feedback about the program, contact us below. We hope you will join us in making our communities thrive.