Description: A Good Neighbor Team (GNT) is a small group of volunteers (preferably 6-10) from a local church or organization that partners with World Relief to welcome and walk alongside a newly arrived refugee family. We want each refugee who arrives in the US to feel the warm welcome of the local church and community. To accomplish this, GNTs will partner with World Relief to assist with practical resettlement tasks aimed at empowering the family to move towards self-sufficiency, while simultaneously building mutually transforming, long-lasting relationships.
Goal: To assist with practical resettlement tasks aimed at empowering the family to move towards self-sufficiency, while simultaneously building meaningful, long-lasting relationships.
GNT Overview - As a GNT, your team is committing to playing an
integral part in the beginning of someone’s new life in the U.S., humbly guiding your new
neighbors as they journey toward self-sufficiency. Before you decide to form a GNT, check out our Good Neighbor Team Overview to learn more!
GNT Handbook - Our handbook covers lots of information about what to expect on our GNT experience. It's a lot of reading, but it's worth it!
GNT Roles - Many GNTs divide responsibilities among members, ensuring everyone on the team gets involved and shares the workload. We find it best to assign a point person to oversee each category that the GNT agrees to help with. Check out our Good Neighbor Team Roles to learn more!
Good Neighbor Team Interest Form - To indicate your desire to start a Good Neighbor Team, please fill out a GNT Interest Form and email it to Karen Sheh at ksheh@wr.org. Once you submit this form, someone from World Relief Western NY will get back to you with next steps.
Airport Arrival - One of the most incredible moments our staff and volunteers get to experience is airport arrivals. Being welcomed, or not welcomed, is also a moment that every newly arrived family remembers, even though they are often very hungry and tired. Bringing flowers or a "welcome" sign written in one of the languages the family speaks, can be especially impactful for newly arrived families.
There is a specific process that our case workers follow to welcome families. Check out our Airport Arrival How To Document to learn more abut how you can play a role.
Welcome Groceries - We welcome families from all over the world. In order to help them feel welcomed, we purchase groceries for their home before they arrive. Check out our list of Dry and Fresh Foods by Country to see what you can get ready for the family you are partnered with! Please save the receipt and send us a copy so we can reimburse you.
Culturally Appropriate Meal - When we welcome a family at the airport they are often very hungry. To make them feel welcomed, we bring them home to a culturally appropriate, ready-to-eat meal for them. If the family has a U.S. Tie, often that individual/family will get this meal ready. If they don't, we will purchase a culturally appropriate meal for the family. We are continually updating our list of restaurants we recommend, so reach out to your WR contact so we can give you a recommendation!
Cross-language communication requires patience, and sometimes translators and tool!
Here are some translation apps & how to use them:
Here are some suggestions for conversation starters to get the dialog rolling. Remember to respect your new friend's privacy as they may prefer not to share some of their experiences.
Housing Checklist - Finding and setting up first homes for our clients is challenging, especially when we receive their travel information weeks, or even days, before they arrive. Check out our Housing Checklist to learn more!
DHS Money - When our clients arrive, our case workers apply for public benefits from DHs for housing. It can take a few months for this to go through, but when it does, our clients receive money to pay for housing. We use these numbers to determine the price range for housing for each family, so they can pay for rent after our formal time with them is over. Check out our DHS Money per Family Member Guide to see how much a family will typically receive for housing.
Site Visit Housing Checklist - There are federal requirement for every home our clients move into in their first 90-days. Check out our Site Visit Housing Checklist to learn more!
Saint's Place - We partner with Saint's Place to provide furniture and furnishings for every family we resettle. Saint's Place exists to "Welcome the Stranger" by providing clothing, furniture, school supplies, household goods, tutoring and scholarships to newly arriving refugees in Rochester, New York. Find out more about them and how you can donate your furniture to welcome more families to Western NY!
Home Setup - Are you part of a home setup team? Here's what you need to know to turn an apartment into a home for a newly arriving family! Home Setup Team Checklist
Home Care - Newly arrived families may be unfamiliar with home rental and care in the United States. You can use these Healthy Home Guides for extra guidance when working with them! English, Spanish, Somali, Karen, Swahili
US-style stores may be a real adjustment! You can help your new neighbor learn how to shop carefully and find familiar items in an unfamiliar landscape.
Here are instructional guides for some of the common appointments for newly arrived families:
- OACES - English language instruction and employment resources
- Rochester City School District - enrolling students in elementary, middle, or high school
- Center for Refugee Health - initial health visits
- Women's Center - health visits for women
- Saint's Place - where families can acquired weather-appropriate clothing
- R Community Bikes - where families can acquire bikes, helmets and locks
- Bus Transportation
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- Click HERE for a map of bus stops close to the Refugee Health Clinic! This can be shown to clients when taking them to the Clinic; empowering them to use the bus system for future appointments!
- Click HERE to learn about the RTS bus system, so you can volunteer your time and show a new family how to ride!
- Translated bus guides for families: coming soon!
Education Checklist - Increased education creates immediate and long-term changes that help families thrive here in Western NY. Check out our Education Checklist to learn more!
Learning English - This may be referred to as ESL (English for Speakers of other Languages), ENL (English as a New Language), TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) or more! More resources coming soon!
GNT Resources from World Relief (national): Good Neighbor Team Resource Library - World Relief
Post office and library orientation Cultural Companion Guides (worldrelief.org)
Social Services Checklist - Understanding the various forms, cards, and mail our clients receive is very confusing. There are ways you can help though! Check out our Social Services Checklist to learn more!
How to Use SNAP - When our clients arrive, our case workers apply for SNAP for them. This money is uploaded monthly onto an EBT card. Check out our How to Use SNAP Guide to learn more!
Budgeting - Sample Budget Template
HEAP Benefits - coming soon!
Employment Services - We refer our newly arrived refugees for employment services at OACES and/or Catholic Charities. Once referred, they can return for assistance as often as desired for up to 5 years.
Employment & Finances - Cultural Companion Guides (worldrelief.org)
Other local agencies that help with Refugees:
- Refugees Helping Refugees
- Deaf Refugee Advocacy Deaf Refugee Advocacy
- Church World Services
- Keeping Our Promises (Afghans) Keeping Our Promise Inc. - Home
Not sure how to engage with your new friends? It can be daunting but don't be afraid to try different things to see what works. Awkward silences can also be part of the process so don't worry.
Here are some suggested activities you might like to try!