REFUGEE SPONSORSHIP
According to The UN Refugee Agency as of February 13, 2023, there are…
103 million forcibly displaced people worldwide
32.5 million refugees worldwide
53.2 million internally displaced people worldwide
4.9 million asylum-seekers worldwide
36.5 million forcibly displaced children worldwide
Refugee Sponsorship
The refugee crisis is growing. Let’s do something about it.
At Naomi House, we sponsor refugees by name, bring them to Canada, and help them rebuild their lives. We are changing the course for entire families for generations to come.
While Naomi House has always focused on refugee support, we took an important step in 2020 to become a Sponsorship Agreement Holder (SAH). This allows us to sponsor more refugees, and advocate for them while they are still overseas. It has become an important part of our ministry, and it’s transforming lives both for the refugees who arrive and the people who welcome them.
What is a SAH?
A Sponsorship Agreement Holder (SAH) is part of the Private Sponsorship of Refugees Program (PSR). A SAH has an agreement with the federal government to sponsor a set number of refugees each year. Privately sponsored refugees arrive in Canada as permanent residents. The SAH is responsible to provide financial and settlement support for the refugee’s first year in Canada, and Naomi House partners with co-sponsors to meet this criteria. Naomi House is a local SAH and only sponsors refugees to the province of Manitoba.
We seek to provide a supportive community for our newly arrived refugees. We want them to have a community that is deeply involved in helping them to thrive in both their personal and spiritual lives.
What does it take to be a sponsor?
Some settlement tasks include:
- Finding housing
- Opening bank accounts
- Driving to medical appointments
- Applying for health benefits
- Enrolling children in school
- Grocery shopping
- Learning about public transportation
- Learning language
… and much, much more
However, the most important aspect of refugee resettlement is building relationships that often last long after the first year of settlement is complete. Refugee sponsorship is a gift to both the refugees and those who get to know them.
Are you hoping to sponsor a specific refugee(s)?
Please note that Naomi House cannot assist refugees who do not have a sponsor in Manitoba.
Don’t know a specific refugee but what to learn more about how you can be involved? Join one of our quarterly sponsorship Information sessions. Please go to the Events page for the date of the next event. Or contact citychurchsah@gmail.com.
If you are a refugee please email: sponsorshipinquiry.citychurch@gmail.com.