First, they will need to fill out the intake form to request accompaniment. Please ensure it is filled out as soon as possible so we can have enough time to find available volunteers.

Then, they will be contacted by one of our team members to connect them with a volunteer (or multiple volunteers) who can accompany them to their appointment.

Finally, they will coordinate directly with the volunteer(s) to decide when and where to meet on the way to their appointment.

Accompaniment is a term used often by individuals and organizations who work with immigrants to describe the act of supporting someone on their journey here in the US. For some, accompaniment can mean a long-term commitment that lasts until the person(s) are able to establish themselves as sustainably independent. For others, accompaniment is used to refer to singular events or on an as-needed basis.

The SWG is currently hosting an Accompaniment Program that is specifically for people who would like support when attending appointments particular to immigration processes where they might feel intimidated or scared due to what they have seen happen to others at those same appointments.

The purpose of accompaniment is not to just hold someone’s hand — it is community support in action. When people who have privilege (whether that privilege is your ability to speak English, your citizenship, the color of your skin, or your professional status) use that privilege to make other people’s lives easier, it gets us one step closer to the Beloved Community we strive to create.

**Our accompaniment program is not legal advice nor is it a substitute for legal representation.**

If someone requests accompaniment via our Intake Form,they will be matched with at least one volunteer, but often at least two volunteers. The person requesting accompaniment will be connected to said volunteer(s) via their preferred form of communication (Signal is best), and they will coordinate about where and when to meet on the day in question.

People requesting accompaniment will also be asked to confirm that they have at least a basic emergency plan in place as well as a privacy waiver form filled out. If they do not have either of these forms, they will be asked to complete them prior to their appointment. It is important that these two documents be brought to their appointment, or at least sent digitally to the volunteer(s) accompanying them so that they know what to do just in case the worst does come to pass.

We prepare our volunteers to be ready for the worst, while hoping for the best. The last thing we want is for people to be kidnapped and separated from their loved ones without anyone knowing what happened or where they went. Our volunteers don’t just offer moral support — they are trained to respond in case of emergency and to help people navigate logistically complicated processes.

If you are interested in attending an accompaniment training with the SWG, please ensure you fill out the Volunteer Interest Form. Once you have done so, you will receive an email from our team with upcoming training dates to choose from. You will need to respond via email to reserve your spot at an upcoming training in order to attend.

We encourage people to accompany individuals and families outside of the scope of the SWG program! If you have your own group or organization that works with vulnerable immigrants, please feel free to organize yourselves for accompaniment of your own people. We do not require that you work within our program once you attend one of our trainings.

We strongly encourage volunteers who can speak another language to please fill out the interest form! However, being fluent in another language is not a requirement to be trained as a volunteer.

Demand is highest for those who speak Spanish, but we also have plenty of requests from people who speak other languages like French, Haitian Creole, Portuguese, Farsi, and more. We do our best to pair volunteers up so at least one person speaks the language of the individual or family they will be accompanying. However, there are times when we have only had people available who are monolingual English speakers and they have been able to use translation apps to communicate in lieu of speaking the language themselves.

Yes! We have trainings for groups/organizations who have their own members that are interested in being trained. We just ask that you have a minimum of 12 people in attendance and that the venue, snacks, and set up be done by your group.

To inquire about a group training, please email SWGAdmin@waucc.org and we will get back to you as soon as possible to coordinate the details.