New Neighbors Program

Connecting our neighbors to community resources

The goal of the New Neighbor program is to pair volunteer families with new arriving families in hope that a friendship develops.

Volunteers engage with new neighbors by visiting them in their home, inviting them for dinner, and helping them navigate their community and their new life. This may include taking all of the family or some of them to parks, libraries, local sites, museums, and the grocery store.

After the family acclimates, the volunteer family may assist with teaching them how to navigate the bus system, registering their children for school, and other nuances that come with living in a new environment.

As the need arises volunteers may join members of the family on visits to referrals they receive. This assists in making the family more comfortable with reaching out to these referrals.

Most importantly it is an opportunity for two families to come together to share cultures and create lasting memories.

New Neighbors Program

This program allows volunteers to assist a newly arrived family. It's a pivotal component of our mission to show refugee and immigrant families the ‘long welcome.’  Because there are many barriers when arriving in a new country, our volunteers act as advocates to make families feel more comfortable in their new home.

Curious what it's like to sponsor a family of new neighbors? Volunteer Carol wrote about the experience - read her article here.

VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES

Volunteers who choose to participate in the New Neighbors program are connected with a refugee or immigrant family in need of assistance. Responsibilities will be agreed upon after connecting a volunteer with a family.

If you're interested in volunteering for this program sign up here and check out our volunteer resources.