Supporters

Tech partners: Welcomely, Workforce Hope Foundation

 

The federal government is reforming how migrants and refugees are resettled in the US. Rather than relying exclusively on large service providers and federal agencies, it seeks to involve ordinary Americans welcoming and helping newcomers, forging new social bonds and providing a sense of belonging that institutional approaches cannot. Modeled on the Welcome Circles pioneered in Canada, the program relies on volunteers to support refugees financially, logistically, and socially. But this can be an imposing proposition, and support systems for the supporters themselves are needed to spell out obligations, provide resources and information, and connect prospective supporters with one another.

Welcomely is an app and web platform that would provide structure, resources, and transparency, making the prospect of becoming a supporter more attractive, more feasible, and more rewarding for more people. Currently under development, the Welcomely model will be piloted with ND alumni clubs, starting with the largest and most active chapters like Chicago. Our supporter- and migrant-facing experience with Workforce Hope is currently serving as a pilot for this project. 

An essential input to this project has been our extensive set of interviews conducted with displaced Ukrainians.  Our service provider partner William Canny, the Executive Director of USCCB Migration and Refugee Services, states that we have assembled “the largest data set on the most innovative Dept. of State program for migration in the last 40 years.” Ferdinand Turatsinze, a recent ESTEEM graduate, is the Project Manager of Welcomely.