Community Support Teams - U.S.

The Community Support Teams (CST) program is a new initiative of Rainbow Railroad that pairs LGBTQI+ and allied volunteer teams with LGBTQI+ asylum seekers. This page contains the information you’ll need to learn more and start your support journey today. 

CST Overview: A Community Support Team (CST) is a volunteer group of 3 or more individuals who commit to providing at least 6 months of community integration support to an LGBTQI+ asylum seeker. With technical and financial support from Rainbow Railroad staff, CSTs will connect program participants directly to available social services and introduce them to community spaces. While each CST’s exact support will be tailored to the community member they’re paired with, the CST program ensures that beneficiaries will receive direct cash assistance, housing, education and employment support, community navigation, and mental and physical health support. 

How to Get Started 

1. Assemble your team (3-10 people) 
2. Watch Module 1 and Module 2 of the mandatory orientation training video
3. Submit a background check, at the following link (coming soon)
4. Submit the CST application on our website, here (1 per team)
5. Complete the Volunteer, Confidentiality, & Commitment Forms via DocuSign (will arrive via email after submitting your application)
6. Fundraise $1500 (if able), which Rainbow Railroad will match with $3500. Volunteers can use this guide to create a FunRaise page on our internal fundraising platform.

Once your CST application is submitted and approved, you will be placed in the pool of eligible CSTs ready for matching. You can learn more about the matching process in Module 2 of the orientation training. You will find additional resources and guidance documents linked at the bottom of this page.

If at any point in this process you have questions or would like to request a meeting with a Rainbow Railroad staff person, please email community@rainbowrailroad.org. 

Offering temporary housing to a program participant

CST members interested in providing temporary housing to a Rainbow Railroad client should indicate that interest in the “Housing Support” section of their team’s CST application.

Non-CST members (e.g. general volunteers) interested in potentially providing temporary housing should fill out the separate Rainbow Housing Drive form on our website at www.rainbowrailroad.org/housing. This form only registers interest; by filling out the form, volunteers are not yet committing to providing housing arrangements. 

If we believe we will have clients who can use the offered space, Rainbow Railroad staff will reach out to collect additional information directly. Once verified, potential hosts will be placed in the pool of eligible hosts. You can learn more about the volunteer housing processes in Module 2 of the orientation training.

Other Ways to Support: Sponsoring a CST

We ask each CST to fundraise $1500, which Rainbow Railroad matches with an additional $3500, to provide a total of $5000/client for the 6-month program period. However, we do not want fundraising capacity to be a barrier to participation, and intend to cover the $1500 amount for groups who would otherwise not be able to meet this threshold. To help us do so, we are looking for CST Sponsors willing to cover this cost for aspiring teams. Please contact community@rainbowrailroad.org to learn more about participating in this way.

Ready to donate now? Live fundraisers can be viewed on our fundraising landing page, here: https://community-support-teams.funraise.org/fundraisers

How can organizations support the CST program?

• Donate to support our CSTs who may not be able to fundraise the program amount on their own
• Invite a Rainbow Railroad staff member to speak to your organization about becoming a CST volunteer or offering temporary housing
• Share CST promotional materials in your organization’s newsletter or distribution list
• Invite LGBTQI+ newcomers with work authorization to apply to jobs at your organization
• Offer unpaid internships or volunteer jobs to LGBTQI+ newcomers still waiting on work authorization, so they can build job skills and gain US-based professional references
• Make your organization’s services and resources available to LGBTQI+ newcomers, especially those who speak languages other than English

Guidance Documents & Useful Links

CST Orientation Videos

• CST Training | Module 1: Rainbow Railroad & Queer Forced Displacement (~15 mins)
• CST Training | Module 2: Community Support Teams (~45 mins)

Background Check Link – Sterling Volunteers

• Please use this exact link, which is specific to Rainbow Railroad. (coming soon)
• If prompted for a “Good Deed Code,” please enter the following. (coming soon)

CST Application

• Each team only needs to submit one application, which will likely take 30-45 minutes. You can save & return to the application. 

CST City Guides

• These city-specific guides are living documents containing confirmed resources in specific cities. You can reference these documents as you’re completing your CST application.
• Don’t see your city listed? Reach out to community@rainbowrailroad.org to inquire about starting one.

FunRaise – Rainbow Railroad’s Fundraising Platform

• This guide explains how to create a fundraising page for your team
• This FunRaise landing page is where your team’s fundraiser will show up after publication

CST Journey Guide (coming soon)

• This living document is a long-form manual for CST volunteers. It expands on the topics discussed in the training, offers additional guidance, and lists national resources that complement the local resources contained in the City Guides. 

Newcomer Program Welcome Packets

• This document should be printed, handed to the newcomer in the CSTs first meeting with them, and reviewed together with them in one of your first meetings. 
• English/Spanish packet
• English/Arabic packet (coming soon)

Rainbow Housing Drive

• For volunteers interested in offering temporary housing who are not already a part of a CST, or are part of a CST where someone else is also offering housing (only 1 housing opportunity can be listed on the CST application)

Temporary Housing Agreement Template

• This is the template volunteer hosts, newcomer guests, and Rainbow Railroad staff will use to collaboratively create an agreement suitable to all parties. 

CST Reports (coming soon)

• We ask groups to complete semi-regular reports on their activities so we can track progress and offer additional support where needed. The CST lead will be responsible for completing a report at each designated interval:
  • 30-Day Report
  • 90-Day Report
  • 180-Day Report