Get Started
1. Please review the duties of a Co-Sponsor Team to see if you are a good fit.
2. Identify a leader of your Co-Sponsor Team who will be the main point of contact between LSS-SW and the team.
3. Complete initial interest form (Click here for Phoenix and here for Tucson) and a staff person will contact you to schedule an initial consultation. You will get more detailed information about how the program works and answers to questions you might have.
4. Fill out a profile on our online volunteer database, VolunteerMatch. Click here to fill out an application.
5. Schedule a team orientation where we will cover:
Our Mission
Co-Sponsor Roles and Responsibilities
Steps in the Process
Expectations and Boundaries
Enabling vs. Empowering
Refugee 101
6. Designate 3-5 team members to receive a fingerprint clearance card. At least 1 person with fingerprint clearance must be present for every interaction with the refugee family or individual. (Fingerprint clearance cards typically take up to 6 weeks to process.)
All other team members must receive a general background check.
For steps to obtain a fingerprint clearance card or background check, please click here.
For more information about the fingerprint clearance card, general background check, and central registry, please click here.
7. Wait to be assigned to a refugee family. Each team is matched with a refugee family that typically arrives in 2-3 weeks after your orientation and paperwork has been completed.