Frequently Asked Questions

CCWC is not yet a non-profit organization. While you may not receive a tax benefit for your charitable gift, your generosity will greatly benefit the lives of refugee newcomers. If donors have additional questions, a tax advisor or IRS Publication 526 can provide helpful guidance.

We have partnered with the non-profit United Immigrant & Refugee Communities of Vermont.  Donations to UIRC are tax-deductible.

Contact us at ccwelcomecorps@gmail.com.

Initially, we would love to have assistance with establishing the CCWC as a formal non-profit organization.

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As CCWC gets closer to being placed with our new neighbors, our wish list includes  

• laptops, 

• cell phones, 

• cars (perhaps you know someone who has a vehicle that they no longer need),

• low-cost housing and 

• home furnishings. Please note that we do not have storage space, so we’ll post here when we are able to accept bulky items.

Stay tuned!  We will keep this list updated.

Our goal is to raise $5,000 per person whom we sponsor. These funds will be used to help with rent, transportation, food, and other critical expenses for approximately 3-6 months.  Our goal is to help the newcomers become self-sufficient and to maintain long-term connections and friendships. 

CCWC is an all-volunteer group, so there are no administrative costs. All the money raised will be used to secure housing, clothing, food, and home supplies for the refugees.

In the short term, the CCWC will provide support by securing and preparing initial housing, greeting refugee newcomers at the airport, enrolling children in school, and helping adults to find employment.

Our goal is to help our neighbors become self-sufficient as soon as possible, while also serving as a network of approachable neighbors who can help them navigate their new environment well beyond the initial 3-6 months.  We expect that through this process many long-term friendships will develop. 

Many of those who will be welcomed by private sponsors like CCWC  will arrive from places where they have been waiting for years to start a new life. Refugees are referred for resettlement when resettlement is their best possible durable solution—meaning they cannot return home and do not have any prospects for local integration in the country to which they fled.  

Before coming to the United States, all refugees admitted through the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP), including refugees supported through the Welcome Corps, will complete thorough security vetting and a health screening by the U.S. government.  Only those refugee applicants who are cleared through an extensive security vetting process, including vetting by U.S. government law enforcement and intelligence agencies, are approved for resettlement to the United States.

Yes, people who enter the United States as refugees are authorized to work and will have social security numbers as part of their refugee status.