Sponsors are the backbone of the resettlement ministry:
They provide services directly to refugees and help them adjust to their new life. A sponsor is usually a group (civic, faith community, workplace, neighborhood) or sometimes a sponsor can be an individual. Sponsors are the bridge between the family and its new community.

The goal of refugee resettlement is to enable newly-arrived refugees to become self-sufficient, contributing members of their new communities as soon as possible. The commitment to sponsor - a moral commitment - helps refugees to begin their lives anew in dignity and freedom.

The basic responsibilities of sponsors include:

• Meeting the refugees at the airport and transporting them to housing.
• Providing housing, food, clothing and other basic necessities for a minimum of thirty days or until the refugee(s) is self-sufficient.
• Enrolling children in school and assisting adults in learning English.
• Assisting the refugee(s) to receive follow-up health exams within the first thirty days.
• Assisting refugees in finding employment.
• Providing community and cultural orientation.

Sponsorship does not include:

• The liability to pay for the refugee to travel to the United States. Refugees receive an interest free travel loan which he or she is required to repay in installments.
• The liability for any debts or bills incurred solely by the refugee.
• The liability for a refugee's civil or criminal misconduct.
• The responsibility of a refugee's life choices. Only the guidance for a refugee to make informed decisions is required. An adult refugee is ultimately responsible for his or her own actions and decisions. And a young refugee is the responsibility of the parent.