Sponsor Circle and Accompaniment Teams are the heart of the Immigrant Support Ministry. These are the ministry members who work directly with refugee and asylee families settling in Minnesota.
Interested, but want to know more before you commit? Below are some of the top questions we hear from people who are considering this ministry.
How much time will this take?
Sponsor Circle members make six-month commitments with the Basilica, which includes 90 days with extra support from Community Sponsor Hub (see more under ‘Will I Have Support’ below.) Accompaniment team members make one-year commitments through the Basilica’s program. At the end of these official commitment periods, both volunteers and families evaluate the relationship and can choose to continue working together.
Weekly commitments depend on the size of the family and size of the team. Team members typically spend more time with families at the beginning, because there are more things to take care of that take bigger chunks of time.
Once major items like housing, school, and job are settled, it’s normal to spend at least a couple hours a week with families.
What do Sponsor Circle and Accompaniment Teams do?
Read more specifics about each type of team:
Learn More About Sponsor Circle Teams (previously called Circle of Welcome teams)
Learn More About Accompaniment Teams
Are refugee and asylee families coming into the U.S. at this point?
Afghan families that new Sponsor Circle teams would work with have Special Immigrant Visas, or SIVs, and are currently still able to enter the U.S. Read NPR’s explanation here.
Will I need to drive the family?
Often, yes. The Immigrant Support Ministry is the only Basilica ministry that drives the people we work with. Team members may help with driving to places like school conferences, doctors appointments, dentist appointments, job interviews, and grocery stores.
However, the team is not responsible for all of the family’s transportation. Part of the role is to help families learn to use public transportation. If finances are available, some teams have helped refugees prepare for drivers tests and find vehicles.
What kind of training will I get?
Sponsor Circle teams work with both the Basilica and Community Sponsorship Hub. Community Sponsorship Hub requires an approximately four-hour, self-guided online training that covers topics including responsibilities, different types of services available to refugees, and what sponsors versus resettlement agencies do. Once Sponsor Circle teams are formed through the Basilica, the team must also put together a welcome plan that’s part of an application to Community Sponsorship Hub. This plan requires the newly formed team to start working together and think through what you will need to do to help welcome a family (there are resources to help with this).
Accompaniment teams receive training through the Basilica, which emphasize how best to help people who have suffered trauma in their lives and how best to support them and their immediate needs. Trainings are completed via Zoom and last approximately two hours.
The Basilica and diocese requires members of both types of teams to have Virtus training, the diocesean safe child training program.
Will I have support?
Yes.
Both Sponsor Circle and Accompaniment teams have coordinators, who have years of experience with this ministry and have learned about available resources over time. Coordinators also communicate with the wider team when a need arises, so we’re able to tap into the cumulative experience of the entire ministry group.
Sponsor Circle teams working with Community Sponsorship Hub also work with a Sponsor Circle Umbrella Group for the first 90 days. Umbrella Groups are matched to Sponsor Circle teams by CSH and are meant to offer technical expertise and support to help navigate early resettlement tasks.
The Basilica is also a source of support, with staff members actively involved in the ministry. Financial support for families comes from the Basilica.
How do we communicate with our families?
At least one person in most families has a phone, and they are generally familiar with WhatsApp. If one family member has some understanding of English, you can also text and make calls.
If family members aren’t yet comfortable with English, teams have communicated using Google Translate and other translation apps. Translators can be requested for doctors appointments, dentist appointments, school meetings, and occasionally other situations.
We prefer to have one team member who speaks the family’s language as well, but this isn’t always possible.
Will I need a background check?
Yes. Team members are required to go through background checks with the Basilica. Since team members drive the people we work with, team members must also submit their driving record and insurance information.
Sponsor Circle team members also need a background check with Community Sponsorship Hub.
I work full time. Will I really be able to serve on a Sponsor Circle or Accompaniment team?
We’ve had people in a variety of work situations participate, including people who work full time, work part time, or are retired. We do our best to form teams that include people in different work situations. That way, as an example, a team member who’s retired may be able to help with appointments during the day, while a team member who works full time may be able to provide help on evenings and weekends.
It’s also acceptable and encouraged to set boundaries if there are times when team members aren’t available. If no one on the Sponsor Circle team is available on Tuesdays, it’s OK to tell the family Tuesday is not a good day, but times that are good are [fill in the blank].
I want to get involved, but I don’t think I have enough time to commit to joining a Sponsor Circle or Accompaniment team. How can I help?
Please talk to us about the time and talents you do have.
We have some team members who perform very specific tasks – for instance, one team member loves to tutor kids when it’s needed.
We also can always use attorneys who are willing to donate their time.
Other tasks sometimes come up, like helping with moving, welcoming people at the airport, or finding furniture. Get in touch and we’ll talk!
Writers:
Dorene W. is a member of the Immigrant Support Ministry and coordinator of the Sponsor Circle Teams that work with refugees.
Amanda K., communications volunteer with the Immigrant Support Ministry. Amanda and her family have been Basilica members since 2011, and she has been involved with several ministries in that time.
Learn more about how you can help at mary.org/refugee-immigration-ministry/.