Member Organizations

Bridge to Rutland

MISSION STATEMENT: Bridge to Rutland seeks to offer sponsorship, partnership, and a home for those seeking asylum in the U.S.

Bridge to Rutland is a group of Rutland County residents working to bring asylum-seekers to Vermont and to support them once they’re here.

We provide wrap-around services, including raising the money to support them in everything they need and finding housing, stipends for food, clothing, pro bono attorneys, and medical care. We also surround them with a team that offers transportation, English instruction, help finding volunteer opportunities, and social activities. Once they have received their work permits, we find them jobs and help them learn about the banking system.

Asylum is a protection granted to a foreigner already living in the United States or a person arriving at the border who cannot safely return to their home country because of persecution due to race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group, or political opinion.

Website: bridgetorutland.com

Email: info@bridgetorutland.com

Central Vermont Refugee Action Network (CVRAN)

CVRAN, the Central Vermont Refugee Action Network, is based in Central Vermont. Founded in i2015,  we have been an all-volunteer organization until recently, serving both asylum seekers and refugees.

THEIR MISSION: The mission of the Central Vermont Refugee Action Network (CVRAN) is to welcome and provide support to refugees, immigrants, asylum seekers, and migrant workers living in, working in, and visiting Central Vermont.

Our vision is to build, in partnership with others, a vibrant, inclusive global community in Central Vermont where refugees and asylum seekers find hope, engagement, empowerment, and a strong sense of belonging.

Website: cvran.org

Email: cvran910@gmail.com

Champlain Valley Office of Economic Opportunity (CVOEO)

The Champlain Valley Office of Economic Opportunity (CVOEO) supports Vermont asylum seekers in two main ways. First, as the administrator of the State of Vermont-funded Statewide Asylum Seekers Assistance Program (SASAP), CVOEO administers small grants to Vermont-based VT-NH-ASN members, enabling them to provide essential services like housing assistance, job training, and community integration.

Additionally, CVOEO oversees a one-time $30,000 grant to strengthen the network’s capacity and sustainability, as well as offering technical support, shared resources, and information. CVOEO also operates its own small Asylum Seekers Assistance Program, which provides direct emergency funds to asylum seekers to help meet basic needs and cover unexpected expenses during the lengthy application process, a period when they cannot work or access government-funded services.

Website: cvoeo.org

Chittenden Asylum Seekers Assistance Network (CASAN)

The Chittenden Asylum Seekers Assistance Network (CASAN) is a group of community volunteers that welcomes and assists people seeking asylum who are in the Chittenden county area. A non-profit organization since 2019, CASAN has assisted people from many countries around the world who come to Vermont to begin a new life in safety. For a few individuals or families at a time, we provide longer-term, wrap-around assistance as needed until they can gradually become financially independent. We accompany these new neighbors as they move through their legal process. For other households brought to our attention, we endeavor to help by providing referrals to local resources and organizations.

Website: casanvermont.org

Email: info@casanvermont.org

Community Asylum Seekers Project (CASP)

CASP is a nonprofit organization that supports asylum seekers in the Brattleboro, Vermont, area.

Their Impact:

• Providing basic needs and services: food, shelter, medical and mental health services, language learning, job training, and school enrollment.
• Assistance in applying for work permits and navigating the asylum claim process.
• Accompaniment through the asylum process and the journey to make a home in a new country.
• Educational events and workshops about migration, trauma, and racism to facilitate increased public understanding and awareness about asylum seekers and their lived experiences.

Website: caspvt.org

Email: info@caspvt.org

Northeast Kingdom Asylum Seekers Assistance Network (NEKASAN)

Established in 2020, the Northeast Kingdom Asylum Seekers Assistance Network (NEKASAN) is a registered nonprofit organization that is part of the Vermont/New Hampshire Asylum Seekers Network and a US/Canada Border Collaborative. Based in St. Johnsbury, Vermont, NEKASAN is dedicated to making our communities supportive places for refugees and asylum seekers. Our volunteers help guests and their families from various countries integrate into our local communities by providing sponsorship, hosting, support, and a warm welcome.

Website: nekasan.org

Email: nekasanvt@gmail.com

Project Home

Project Home is a grassroots organization founded in 2019 in the Monadnock Region of New Hampshire to help asylum seekers move into our communities and homes as they await their asylum hearings. We provide for housing, legal, medical, educational and any other basic needs. Our guests are welcomed into a home and surrounded by a volunteer support team. We are working with other local and regional organizations to develop and maintain a coalition that furthers this work.

Website: ProjectHomeNH.org

Email: info@ProjectHomeNH.org

Supporting and Helping Asylum Seekers and Refugees (SHARe)

SHARe is a grassroots volunteer-based organization that helps refugees and asylum seekers settle in the Upper Connecticut River Valley of Vermont and New Hampshire. Through the collective efforts of volunteers, donors, and partners, we address the unique challenges faced by newcomers. Together, we offer a warm welcome and necessary support to rebuild lives and build thriving communities.

Website: sharevtnh.org

Email: sharevtnh@gmail.com