5 Tips on How to Host Refugees at Your Home
With recent global events, there are many refugees seeking a place to live and support from United States citizens. Here are five tips on how to host refugees at your home.
5 Tips on How to Host Refugees at Your Home
- Offer to host your home. There are many different charities and organizations that work to provide refugees a home such as VolunteerMatch, Integrated Refugee and Immigrant Services and World Relief. Through these organizations, you can fill out a form and get matched up with a refugee or refugees who need a place to call home. Some of the matches are temporary and only last a few months while others can be long-term and last a few years. The organizations also provide information on how to host refugees at your home.
- Share your knowledge. Once you have offered up your home, it is important that you teach refugees all they need to know about their new home. For example, teach them how to use household appliances, instruct them on basic housekeeping skills and introduce them to the community. They will need to know where the grocery store, the post office and other important places are located.
- Support them throughout the process. Make sure there is professional help available for the refugees such as counseling or a coordinator who can check in on them and see how they are doing as most have been through traumatizing experiences.
- Keep your boundaries. It is important to respect refugees and not force them to do things they may not feel comfortable with. Always give them the option to participate in an event or outing; never force them or make them feel like they have to take part.
- Think it through; don’t just go for it. Don’t offer up your home just for the sake of doing it. Make sure to think it through. As a host, you must understand that there are many challenges you may face and it might not go smoothly at first. Be sure you are prepared for all possible outcomes.
Hosting refugees can be a very rewarding experience and can make a huge difference in their lives.
– Jordan Connell
Sources: AOL, The Guardian, World Relief
Photo: Flickr
