Violence, persecution, and oppression forcibly displace millions of people around the world every year. While at times this harsh reality may appear beyond the influence of our individual abilities, we are encouraged by one of our greatest assets: our natural inclination toward community and the alleviation of suffering through solidarity.
USCCB Migration and Refugee Services is helping refugees seek safety in the United States through Solidarity Circles. Solidarity Circles are groups of community members coming together in solidarity with the world’s most vulnerable people by directly providing wraparound support as they build their new lives in the United States.
You and your friends can welcome refugees into your community through Solidarity Circles in two distinct ways:
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Co-Sponsorship
Co-sponsorship provides community members with an opportunity to have meaningful encounters with refugees in their early days after arriving in the United States through the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program. Working alongside local resettlement agencies, groups of volunteers share the responsibility of meeting the needs of newcomers and helping them find their place in their new neighborhoods.
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Private Sponsorship
Private Sponsorship programs empower everyday Americans to play a leading role in welcoming refugees arriving through the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program by fully supporting their resettlement and integration independently of local resettlement agencies.
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"Solidarity means much more than engaging in sporadic acts of generosity. It means thinking and acting in terms of community."
Pope Francis, On Fraternity and Social Friendship, Fratelli Tutti