Welcome.US

Far from the noise of political debate, and at the center of our communities, America is full of Welcomers—people, like you, who are big-hearted, show up for their friends, neighbors, and people in need, and take care of the communities they are proud to live in. We invite you to join us for a conversation with Welcome.US CEO Nazanin Ash and co-founder Cecilia Muñoz, former Director of the Domestic Policy Council of the United States, to discuss the state of welcoming newcomers and the implications the new administration could have on sponsorship pathways. Register today → https://bit.ly/40sHCWn

When planning for a newcomer’s arrival, one of the most important first steps is having a housing plan. Securing housing can be a challenge, especially when arrival dates are uncertain. We’ve compiled some tips for how to begin searching for temporary and permanent housing. Temporary accommodations may include options like Airbnb, local hotels, or in-home but separate living arrangements. It’s important to leverage your network. By sharing newcomer’s housing needs with your friends, family, or community groups, you never know who will be able to help in a time of need. When searching for long-term housing, it is important to remember that newcomers do not have a renter’s history or a credit history in the U.S. It is often recommended or required for the sponsor to cosign the lease. Some important questions to ask landlords include: Are there any cosigner requirements? When/if can the cosigner be removed from the lease? What is the process for early termination of the lease if necessary? Are there possibilities for a shorter-term lease or a month-to-month contract? What utilities are included in the rent? It is important to ensure that you find clean, safe, and affordable long-term housing. The newcomer(s) needs to be able to afford their housing arrangements even after they are no longer being supported by their sponsor. Finding housing for newcomers can be a challenging process, but we are here to help! Our Welcome.US team supports sponsors through every step of the sponsorship journey. Visit welcome.us/resources for more tips today.

There are many ways to get involved with welcoming—and no act of welcome is too small. From donating to volunteering to sending a message of encouragement, Americans across the country have stepped up to support refugee newcomers. Learn how you can take action today, and #BeAWelcomer → https://lnkd.in/e-bTzw2e

Interested in becoming a sponsor? Join Welcome.US for our upcoming Live Information Session to learn how you can provide a pathway to safety for newcomers seeking refuge in the U.S. Our Welcome.US staff and Grant, an experienced sponsor, will share more about what it means to sponsor, who is seeking sponsorship, how you can qualify for financial support, and more. You’ll get a live demo of our Welcome Connect platform and have time to ask questions to our Welcome.US team. Register today for our next session at noon EST, Tuesday, Oct. 22. → https://lnkd.in/gS9yVmiX This session is for Americans who are interested in learning more about sponsoring an individual or family who they do not know.

Now more than ever, there is an urgent need for Americans to step up as sponsors. Sponsorship is one of the few safe pathways for Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans, Ukrainians, and Venezuelans to find refuge in the United States. The Welcome Connect platform enables everyday Americans to provide a lifeline for those seeking safety and a chance to rebuild their lives in the United States. Individuals or groups in America who want to sponsor a newcomer can start their sponsorship journey by registering at any time on Welcome.US/welcome-connect.

Welcome Connect is a FREE platform; you should never pay for access or assistance. Do not pay money to anyone who claims they can help you find a sponsor or access Welcome Connect for a fee. We are, and will continue, investigating reports of fraud and suspicious activity to block these users from accessing the platform. Registration for Welcome Connect will be ongoing on a limited and scheduled basis to ensure successful connections between sponsors and beneficiaries. For more information and resources, visit Welcome.US.

Ohio State University, a Welcome Campus Network partner, is striving to create a more open and welcoming campus for refugee students. Through community-based learning courses, students and faculty collaborate with local organizations like Community Refugee and Immigration Services (CRIS), a refugee resettlement agency in Columbus, Ohio, to better understand and support the needs of newcomers on campus and in their community. Welcome Campus Network amplifies the work of colleges and universities as they welcome and support newcomers who are seeking safety from across the globe. Learn more → https://lnkd.in/eM8fzpFG

After their home city of Izyum, Ukraine, was nearly destroyed, Tetiana and Serhii Safiulina knew they could no longer stay. “The area we were in was bombed heavily,” Tetiana shared. “On top of not having electricity or running water, it was very hard to handle.” The couple fled to Poland. They soon learned about the Uniting for Ukraine program in the United States and decided to sign up for Welcome Connect where they met Prithvi Mulchandani. An immigrant himself, Prithvi understood the challenges newcomers face in the United States. This is what drove him to create a sponsor group. Tetiana and Serhii arrived in the U.S. in June 2024, sharing that sponsorship “gives a person another chance at life.” Read their story→ https://lnkd.in/egizxM3q

At Gap Inc., we are committed to bridge gaps - from equity and inclusion to climate and opportunity - to create a better world.  We are proud to have been a partner to Welcome.US, a national organization committed to welcoming and providing support to those seeking refuge in the United States and helping them thrive. As a first generation immigrant, I am personally really moved by the mission and the impact of the Welcome.US organization and was honored when Richard Dickson asked me to host a workshop at Gap Inc. in partnership with Welcome.US, bringing together my peers from 16 companies from Accenture, Airbnb, American Express Global Business Travel, Bank of America, Cisco, Google,HP, Lyft, Mastercard, Meta, Netflix, Salesforce, ServiceNow, Uber, YouTube, to collaborate on a creative solution together to reinvigorate the Welcome.US signature #BeAWelcomer marketing campaign and further their impact efforts. Not only was it incredible to connect with other thought leaders across industries but it was also great to harness the collective impact of broad perspectives to discuss and problem solve together. It was a new powerful forum of creative solutioning for social impact, and the energy and enthusiasm in the room was really electric. A big thank you to Nazanin Ash and Monna Kashfi for your leadership and for bringing us all together, to Daniel Fibiger, Melina Wyatt, Brit Elise Rocourt (she/her), and Juliette Velez for all your efforts in making this workshop happen. And thank you to  David Moskovitz, Jill Kramer, Kaitlyn King, Evan Konwiser, David C. Tyrie, Rebecca Stone, Thomas Schoenfelder, John Koller, Brian Irving, Rustom Dastoor, Dave Kaufman, Ferial Govashiri, Kelly Haut Thacker, Jim Lesser, Shauna Derby, Danielle Tiedt, for your thought leadership and for joining us at Gap Inc in San Francisco.

Last week, the Welcome.US team participated in its third United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) week in New York. Welcome.US CEO Nazanin Ash shares what it meant to meet with global leaders and change-makers to take on some of the world’s biggest problems—including tackling global displacement in our own communities. Get an inside glimpse into her week at UNGA ➡️ https://lnkd.in/ergXQ9J2 Clinton Global Initiative Goals House Google Choose Love Emtithal Mahmoud Josie Naughton The Harris Poll Libby Rodney