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Paper Presentation

Immigrants, Refugees, and Displaced Populations

Session: Building Belonging Through Community, Care, and Uncertainty

Mutual Aid and Interdependence the Role of Community Sponsorship in Refugee Integration and Belonging

This presentation examines how community sponsorship models facilitate mutual aid, belonging, and sustainable refugee integration. Using the Sort and Shift method (Bailey & Peoples, 2020), the paper analyzes qualitative interviews to explore how community-driven support systems reinforce interdependence, social capital, and long-term well-being among refugees in the U.S.

Learning Objectives:

At the end of this session, attendees should be able to:
  1. Upon completion, the participant will be able to describe how community sponsorship enhances mutual aid and interdependence in refugee integration.
  2. Upon completion, the participant will be able to evaluate the impact of community-led models on refugee well-being and social cohesion.
  3. Upon completion, the participant will be able to analyze the reciprocal impact of community sponsorship models on volunteers' perceptions, advocacy efforts, and systemic change toward refugee inclusion.