Volunteers Support our
Refugee Families

Learn more about our Refugee Programs.

Group participation

Individual participation 

Sponsor a refugee family

Any group (church, business, civic association, or other formal organization) can sponsor a refugee family for its first three months in the United States. Sponsorship requires committing time to assist the family in its period of adjustment.

Volunteer through the Refugee Resettlement Program

Your friendship is the greatest gift you can offer refugees during their first difficult months of transition to a new country, a new language, and a new culture. And just as we serve refugees of varied religions, races, ethnicities, genders & ages, and employ staff who are diverse in their beliefs and backgrounds, we also welcome diversity among our volunteers.

Responsibilities

• Personal and financial support for a limited time period
• Pay deposit on an apartment and first month's rent - they will sign the lease and be responsible for their own rent after your initial payment
• Provide a minimal amount of furniture and basic household items (please consult wish list page)
• Meet family at the airport and transport them to their apartment
• Orient them to the apartment and to the operation of appliances, furnace, air conditioner, etc.
• Provide food for one month, until they become employed or receive food stamps
• Orient them to their community, showing them where to find grocery stores, drug stores, bus stop, school, etc.
• Escort them to appointments necessary. This would include the Social Security Office, Health Department, schools, and the Georgia Department of Family and Children's Services
• Provide clothing, as needed, making sure that they have items suitable to the climate and season
• Make twice-a-week home visits during the first month and monthly visits after that period

Volunteer activities

There are as many ways to assist newly arrived refugees as there are people who want to help them. You may select the type of activity that fits your interests, talents, and time.

• If you have only a limited amount of free time, you may choose one-time activities such as escorting an adult to a health clinic, taking a child on an outing, or even baking brownies and delivering them to a family. There are endless ways to show that you care and to be supportive. 

• If you want to make a longer commitment, come to know a family by spending time with them during their first three months. Help them learn about their new culture and orient them to their neighborhood. You could teach them how to open a bank account, shop in a mall, or ride MARTA.

• If you prefer to work behind the scenes, you might consider organizing a furniture drive or setting up the apartment with collected furniture and household items. Or you may lend a hand at our office.

LSG supports the sponsors

• LSG works with your organization to ensure that your financial commitment is for an amount within your budget
• We provide you with information on the culture of the family, their food preferences, and updates on current events in their country of origin
• We provide orientation workshops and will inform you of your rights and responsibilities as a sponsor
• We provide information on apartment complexes which are affordable and have easy access to services
• We schedule the family's mandatory immigration appointments
• We suggest sources of acculturation experiences and materials, such as English classes and MARTA maps and schedules

LSG assists the volunteers

• We'll be your partner in this enterprise. All along the way, we'll offer guidance and encouragement. You will also be given opportunities to socialize with other volunteers.
• We will show you how to assist people who may not speak English, and who come from cultures very different from our own. 
• We'll give you information about the culture of the family you will be assisting, to better enable you to anticipate and understand the problems they may encounter.
• You'll accompany a caseworker or experienced volunteer, to gain some hands-on experience. When you and your trainer agree that you are ready, you'll begin to reach out on your own to a newly arrived family or to an individual who has need of your special skills.

For more information about sponsoring a family, volunteering in other ways, or making donations of items for refugees, please contact Kay Trendell, Director of Refugee Services, at 678-686-9605.