Catholic ae Charities a Refugee & Immigration Services Sellen Refugee Resettlement Services (RRS) Parishes Organized to Welcome Refugees (POWR) Program Catholic Charities and Parish/Church Sponsor Agreement Welcome to the POWR program! We are humbled by the outpouring of support for new refugee families and parish/church commitment to participate in the POWR program. The POWR, agreement below is between Catholic Charities and your parish/church; please review, comment, and obtain signature from the pastor or his designee. The agreement is not intended to be a Icgally binding document, rather, it is to serve as @ guide for our journey together as we welcome and resettle a refugee family. The guidelines are based on US Department of State Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration Reception and Placement (R&P) sub-contract terms and conditions for an agency to administer the US refugee resettlement program. fall responsibility for meeting all Reception and Placement (R&P) contractual requirements, resettlement goals and objectives and not hold parish/church responsible for program performance 2. Provide a designated staff‘ member, most often the POWR coordinator, to serve as the liaison between Catholic Charities and the parish/church. 3. Train and prepare the parist/church for resettlement of a refugee family; conducting the trainings at locations and times convenient for patish/church volunteers and leadership. Offer materials for spiritual reflection, backgrounders on refugee populations, and other related materials to help prepare congregation. 4, Identify a refugee family to be assigned to the parish/church, after consultation with the parish leadership team about the strengths of the parish/church and specific capacities that are available. Assign, as possible, a refugee family to the parish/church within twelve months of the signing of the agreement, 6. Provide designated parish/church liaison with updates on family assigniment and arrival dates. As available, provide medical updates and any special needs of the family. 7. Provide designated liaison with contact information for the case manager and supervisor one week before the family’s arrival 8. Take over any and all remaining responsibilities for resettlement should the relationship between the refugee family and the parish/church break-down, 275 West Broadway « South Boston, MA 02127 « Te: 617-464-8100 + Fax: 617-464-8150 « worw.ceab.org.Catholic ges Charities a Refugee & Immigration Services all pee [Name of the Parish/Church| Agrees to: 1, Participate in the POWR program as a parish/church partner for a period of no less than six ‘months after the assigned refuugee family arrives to the US. 2. Create a core committee of (suggested) 5-6 people to oversee the POWR implementation in the patish/church. From the core committee, appoint a person and a back-up to serve as the primary liaison(s) for Catholic Charities POWR coordinator. 3. Ensure volunteers working with the refugee family adhere to confidentiality agreement (if parish/church does not have one, Catholic Charities can provide) and are screened and vetted according to parish/diocesan standards, 4, Inform Catholic Charities of any media inquiries related to the POWR partnership or refugee family. Requests from the media to interview the refugee family should be discussed thoroughly with the refugee family, Catholic Charities and parish/church POWR core committee. 5. Welcome and assist a refugee family become part of the patish/church community while helping the family toward achievement of financial self-sufficiency and, integration and full participation in their new community. 6. Accept a.refugee family regardless of race, ethnicity, religion, gender, orientation, or political opinion. 7. Assist POWR coordinator with tracking volunteer time, cash and in-kind donations and - family progress. 8. Conduct the following direct service activities prior to and post arrival of refugee family: Pre-Arrival: 1 Secure housing: using R&P Home Safety Checklist (Attachment 1) from Department of State find a safe and affordable apartment in a refugee and immigrant friendly neighborhood/community. Ensure utilities are turned on and in working order prior to the day of arrival. 0 Furnish the apartment to meet the basic needs of the family in accordance with the items required on the R&P Supply Checklist (Attachment 2): basic furnishings, household g00ds, linens, personal and toiletry items, and baby/children specific as applicable. Be cautious not to go “overboard” and overwhelm the family with expensive furnishings or home items—this can give the family a false impression of reality in the US. 1D Purchase/donate one week worth of culturally appropriate, nutritious groceries and put in epartment. Donate clothes, shoes and other items to augment the personal items brought by the family, Prepare a culturally appropriate warm meal the day of the family’s arrival. ‘The intent is to have a meal/food waiting for the family when they arrive after their very long journey. a 275 West Broadway + South Boston, MA 02127 « Tel: 617-464-8100 « Fay: 617-464-8150 « worwreeab.ongCatholic cee Charities ome Refugee & Immigration Services vic Arrival and Post-Arrival: 1) Welcome the refugee family: along with RRP staff, greet family upon arrival and assist with transportation to permanent housing. It is often nice to have balloons, flowers or a sign to show welcome. Bring warm coats and shoes to the airport for cach family member if the family is arriving from a climate that does not experience winter. Accompany and assist RRP case manager and refugee family in completion of core service activities outlined in the R&P Core Services Chec! (Attachment 3). In addition to core service activities, help family with reading and understanding mail, setting up an email account, ensuring utilities are in the name of the family, the employable adults know how to get to required services such as employment and as applicable, help parents engage with their child’s school, 11 Subsidize the monthly reat for the refugee family’s apartment as applicable. Refugee family must contribute at least 70% of their temporary cash assistance benefits toward rent and be actively engaged in employment activities to receive subsidy support. RRP sta‘ will work with designated parish/church liaison to determine a fair amount of subsidy support to offset the cost of monthly rent for the refugee family's apartment during the first six to eight months after arrival, (1 Orient the refugee family to their new community: show refugees how to use the public transportation system, where to go grocery shopping, how to find the foods they like, where the post office is, how to pay bills, how to open a bank account, budgeting and saving, ete. RRP can provide educational materials to help orient clients to American culture, Help the family find a place of worship to their religion if the family expresses an interest in this type of support. As able, arrange educational and fun excursions for the refugee family. (Assist with family self-sufficiency: encourage refugees to search for employment and practice English, share American workplace cultural norms. (1 Share your knowledge: informally offer English language practice, explain US customs and laws, best places to find inexpensive goods, etc. (1 Refrain from “doing” everything for the family. It is important that the family be learning how to navigate their new life on their own and become independent. Parish/Church Partner Name & Signature Date RIS RRP Name & Signature Date 275 West Broadway » South Boston, MA 02 (617-464-8150 « worw.ccaborg