I am so grateful that ... RAMP agreed to sponsor my family. My family’s resettlement was complicated by the hospitalization and care of an infant child. It was a difficult time for the whole family. I don’t think anything could have been done better."
Freshta
Housing
Services
Services
Finding affordable, suitable housing with the availability, accessibility, and space for a new start.
Services
Services
Services
Providing critical services such as ESL, transportation to and from important appointments and navigating available medical and social services.
Community
Livelihood
Livelihood
Supporting cultural and contextual orientation, assistance with school enrollment process, and access to local community groups.
Livelihood
Livelihood
Livelihood
Building a sustainable framework through assistance in employment searches as well as teaching financial literacy and budgeting skills.
Volunteer dedication
Family Coordinator Team
Family Coordinators are responsible for overseeing the volunteers for the team. They act to support both the family and other volunteers to make sure the family needs are met. Family coordinators have great communication and organizational skills. They are able to respond to family challenges with creative problem solving.
Apartment Preparation Team
Welcomes the family into an apartment made into a home. They find donated furniture, and accessories appropriate for the apartment size and family. With the family coordinator, they purchase new bedding, clean the apartment and set up everything from the furniture to hanging the curtains. This is a short term commitment that occurs in about 2-3 weeks between when an apartment is secured and when the family arrives.
Grocery & Meals Team
Provides a culturally appropriate welcome meal and grocery staples. The team takes the family shopping regularly, typically weekly. The team works with the family until they are able to shop on their own. RAMP supplements this expense until the family receives Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). The family will be introduced to local food pantries and other sources of food assistance as needed.
Clothing Team
Works within the family team budget to secure gently used clothes needed by the family. This will vary depending on when the family arrives, what they have and what they need or want. The clothing team will stay with the family and check in to see if clothing needs change due to change of season, or the growth of children.
Social Services Team
Ensures the family receives the social services that they are eligible for, such as Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) and Medicaid. They help the family get NJ Motor Vehicle ID and other social services as needed. The Social Service team assists the family as needed while RAMP is sponsoring them. However, the majority of the work is done in the first three months.
Medical Team
Assists the family in getting health care appointments as needed. All families have a medical exam as part of the refugee vetting process and come with a list of medical concerns that need to be addressed. The medical volunteers also assist with finding specialists or resolving insurance issues.
Education Team
Helps the family with English as a second language (ESL) instruction. Family members may be registered for free classes at local faith communities or service organizations, formal paid classes or tutors and will be assigned 1-2 additional tutors. In addition the Education Team assists with school registration and assisting the family find other resources for school aged and preschool children.
Transportation Team
A transportation coordinator will work with other volunteers and the family coordinator to scedule drivers to meet transportation needs of the family.
Financial Advisor Team
Works with the adults in the family, the family coordinator, and the employment team to develop and work within an appropriate budget for the family.
Rewarding relationships
