Neighbor to Neighbor Program

1. What is Neighbor to Neighbor?
Through Neighbor to Neighbor, Episcopal Migration Ministries (EMM) directly trains and provides ongoing support to faith communities who serve as community sponsors for asylum seekers. Community sponsors welcome their new neighbors by offering friendship, fostering community connections, and providing practical support such as housing, assistance in accessing services and navigating the community, enrolling children in school, supporting adults in learning English and securing employment, and more.

2. What’s the process?

Neighbor to Neighbor is organized into five phases, with EMM guiding and supporting NtN teams through each step.

Discernment: During this phase, prospective NtN teams complete an Initial Interest Form. In response to the form, you will receive more information about the NtN program. Additionally, an NtN staff member will reach out to you to schedule a meeting where you can ask questions, understand more about the program, and organize to begin training.

Training: During the training phase, NtN teams are granted access to EMM’s Neighbor to Neighbor on-demand training videos and resources, as well as other training materials, so they can learn, plan, and prepare to welcome the new neighbors.

Readiness Assessment: During this phase, NtN teams provide EMM with detailed descriptions of their plans to welcome their new neighbors. EMM reviews these plans and schedules a meeting with the NtN team to discuss their readiness to welcome a family. Once the plans are approved, EMM then works with other partner organizations to match a new neighbor to the NtN team.

Matching & Sponsorship: During this phase, the team welcomes their new neighbors and follows their detailed plan – arranging housing, assisting with basic needs, enrolling children in school, introducing the family to the local community, and much more. There are regular check-ins with EMM during this phase, through one-on-one conversations with the Program Manager, participation in monthly Communities of Practice calls with other NtN teams, and through submitting reports on the team’s activities. EMM is here to support the teams, every step of the way.

Conclusion: The ministry of community sponsorship is vital and time-limited; the purpose of community sponsorship is to empower your new neighbors towards independence and self-sufficiency. During this phase, EMM provides each NtN team with resources and coaching on how to bring the community sponsorship relationship with your new neighbors to a close. We reflect with you on the experience and celebrate your work as you, in turn, mark the conclusion of this chapter in your relationship with the new neighbors.

Neighbor to Neighbor personal quote
United Thank Offering

EMM received a UTO grant to support the Neighbor to Neighbor program.

3. This sounds like something my faith community would like to do. How do we get started?

The first step is to complete this Initial Interest Form. After you submit your Initial Interest Form, we will send you more information and a staff member will be in touch to schedule a time to meet with you.

We look forward to hearing from you!

4. Want to learn more? Dig deeper with these articles: