New program is one of many volunteer opportunities at Catholic Community Services

Friday, Oct. 11, 2024

SALT LAKE CITY — Catholic Community Services of Utah has launched a new program designed to get local parishes involved in the agency’s refugee outreach efforts. 

The Refugee Community Co-Sponsorship program is an extension of an initiative by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops called Organized to Welcome Immigrants and Refugees, which “seeks to develop a base of support, mentorship, and welcome for the newcomer through local, parish-based ministries of hospitality,” according to the USCCB website.

“There are many community needs that depend on our response and so we have Catholic Community Services of Utah,” Bishop Oscar A. Solis wrote in a June 12 letter to pastors about some of CCS’ programs. “The agency provides essential service that parishes can’t provide. The agency depends on volunteers for the St. Vincent de Paul dining hall as well as for the Migration and Refugee Services. Parishes can provide support by encouraging parishioners to volunteer for these corporeal works of mercy.”

CCS began in 1945. Among its programs are Bridging the Gap, which provides groceries to students in need in Weber and Davis counties to help alleviate hunger on weekends; refugee foster care, and the Weigand Resource Center in Salt Lake City, a day shelter for those experiencing homelessness.  

The CCS Community Co-Sponsorship program has three levels of involvement for helping refugees get settled in their new homes in Utah:

1. A core group of five to seven members that will help find and set up housing and furnishings for the refugees and provide other basic services. These volunteers undergo a background check, four to six hours of training, including mandatory diocese training, much of which can be completed online.

“Some of those core services happen before the client even arrives,” said Ermina Mustafic-Harambasic, CCS’ volunteer programs supervisor. 

2. A group of five to 10 additional volunteers who may not be able to donate much time but are willing to provide behind-the-scenes support.

3. A community of up to 250 members. This could be a parish, neighborhood or another group who are willing to donate in-kind or financial support such as furnishing an apartment for the refugee families. Once the client arrives, this group would welcome them with a warm meal and some groceries, and then help them get adjusted to the new community.

The new program is “a hybrid version of resettlement, in that it works together with local communities as well as resettlement agencies,” Mustafic-Harambasic said, adding that this “would be a great opportunity” for people who already work together, “but we are open to also building these groups with individual volunteers who come from different parishes.”

The first group of core volunteers in this program is expected to be matched with new arrivals in the coming months; the remainder would be ready in early 2025.

CCS is tasked with helping 600 to 700 refugees annually, with 140 families expected per year. This number has the agency’s personnel and resources stretched to its maximum, so agency officials are hoping local Catholics will step up and help out.

“What we want is our Catholic parishes to get involved in the migration and refugee services’ Organized to Welcome Immigrants and Refugees initiative because without the refugees receiving this welcome, it would be difficult for their transition into the new country,” said Aden Batar, CCS’ director of Migration and Refugee Services. “So, we want our parishes to be there with us and to help our staff.” 

More information on this program may be found at ccsutah.org/get-involved/volunteer/refugee-community-co-sponsorship or by contacting Mustafic-Harambasic at 801-428-1312.

Additionally, CCS is holding a parish volunteer fair at its offices on Oct. 16 to share information on volunteering with migration and refugee services.

WHAT: Catholic Community Services Parish Volunteer Fair

WHERE: Catholic Community Services, 224 North 2200 West, SLC

WHEN: Oct. 16, 6- 7:30 p.m.

Those attending the event will have the opportunity to learn about volunteering with CCS’ migration and refugee services.