Help a refugee. Help the community. Get involved to make a difference where you live.
Donations
Raising financial support is our first step. Donations will help us build the necessary aid packages needed to help refugee families get established. This is a practical as well as a government requirement to sponsor refugees. We will be providing about $10,000 worth of assistance for each family, including funds to help meet basic needs, like housing and food. We want each family to get started on a solid footing in our community. Donations are tax deductible.
Housing
We are putting together a housing inventory in the Cooperstown and Oneonta areas. Our goal is to provide houses and apartments that will provide a small group of refugees a safe place to call home while they establish themselves in our area. Rental payments will be made initially through a donation based assistance package provided by The Coalition. Please fill out the form if you are open to being contacted in the future when a new refugee placement comes through. We will share all the details that we have with you to determine if the housing will be a good match. Being on the list is not a final commitment to provide housing, just an initial indication that you would be interested in partnering with us to help those in need find a place to call home.
Volunteering
Join our coalition. Are you passionate about helping refugees find a home in our community? Do you have housewares, furniture, clothing, or other items to donate? Please fill out the questionnaire below and we’ll reach out if there is a need.
If you would like to work directly with refugees (such as providing transportation, offering English language tutoring, serving as an interpreter in Kiswahili), please complete the Volunteer Mentor application. Volunteer Mentors will need to complete a background check: please see the application for details.
