Good Neighbor Teams
A Good Neighbor Team (GNT) is a small group of volunteers (preferably 6-8) from a local church or organization that partners with World Relief to welcome and walk alongside a newly arrived refugee family.
Description: A Good Neighbor Team (GNT) is a small group of volunteers (preferably 6-8) 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 Timeline - We want you to know what to expect at different stages of your journey as a GNT. Check out our Good Neighbor Team Timeline to learn more!
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 Eric Lintala at elintala@wr.org. Once you submit this form, someone from World Relief Western NY will get back to you with next steps.
Good Neighbor Team Agreement - Once your team has gone through the GNT Training, please fill out a GNT Agreement Form and email it to Eric Lintala at elintala@wr.org. Once you submit this form, someone from World Relief Western NY will get back to you to answer your questions and match you with a family.
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. There are ways your GNT can help though! 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!
Arrival Checklist - The day a family arrives is an exciting and busy day, and there are many ways your GNT can get involved in the arrival process. Check out our Airport Arrivals Checklist to learn more!
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! Please save the receipt and send us a copy so we can reimburse you.
Social Services Checklist - Understanding the various forms, cards, and mail our clients receive is very confusing. There are ways your GNT 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!
General Checklist - Becoming Self-sufficient is challenging for our newly arrived clients. There are ways your GNT can help though! Check out our General Checklist to learn more!
Grocery Shopping - Going shopping with clients is a lot of fun, when you enter with the right mindset. Check out our Grocery Shopping Orientation to learn more!
Local Life and Culture - There are so many things to learn about living in Western NY. Check out the list of places to visit and orientations to give. If you want us to add something, let us know!
Travel Checklist- One of the most impactful means to self sufficiency is a plan for travel. As our clients are able to get themselves around Western NY, they quickly move from relief to rehabilitation to development. There are ways your GNT can help though! Check out our Travel Checklist to learn more!
Public Transportation - The Rochester Transit System (RTS), offers a simple and affordable means of transportation for thousands of Rochesterians. It also provides an incredible way to empower clients to be self-sufficient. Our hope is for every client to feel comfortable and confident to use RTS by their third month in Western NY. Check out our RTS Bus Training to learn how YOU can be an RTS guide! You can also learn more at the RTS website.
Buying a Car - Many of our clients want to have their own car from the minute they arrive in the US. While this is a great goal, it often takes months or years for a family to get a driver's license and save up enough money to purchase a car and its ongoing costs. If you find conversations about car ownership coming up, check out our Car Ownership Guide.
Education Checklist - Increased education creates immediate and long-term changes that help families thrive here in Western NY. There are many ways your GNT can get involved in this change! Check out our Education Checklist to learn more!
ESL Resources - We are continually working to increase our ESL Resource library. Check out some of the documents below for ideas and let us know if you find, or create, any amazing resources!
More Coming soon!
There are churches and communities throughout the United States that have served as GNTs. Check out some of their stories!
Blog posts:
- "The Church Has No Exit Plan"
- "A Welcoming Community: Tara’s Volunteer Story"
- "Worth the Wait: A Story of Faith, Perseverance and Love, Despite the Odds"
- "Was Jesus a Refugee?"
Videos: