A Miami sponsor and her nonprofit are inspired to help
Rivly Breus just wants to make a difference. As the Director of Operations with the Miami-based Erzule Paul Foundation, she has worked for years to meet the basic needs of children and families facing poverty, displacement, and tragedies that have caused upheaval in their lives.
When a cousin told Rivly about the humanitarian sponsorship program, it seemed like a natural extension of her work with the nonprofit.
“We started off as a nonprofit doing community work—often times it was food drives, school drives, distribution of essentials. And we would do this in communities within Miami, but we would also do it overseas in Haiti and the Dominican Republic,” she said. “When this humanitarian parole program came out, I saw it as an opportunity to do more. I thought that I could make an even bigger impact by sponsoring someone.”
Eager to help, but unsure of where to start, Rivly started researching sponsorship and discovered Welcome.US. She consumed all the details she could by attending live information sessions, exploring sponsor resources, and talking to other sponsors about their experiences.
I decided to become a sponsor because I understand that the world is not perfect and there's a lot going on, and I know that, me as one person, I may not be able to change the world, but I can make a difference—a small difference—in the lives of a few people.
Rivly first helped her family and friends from Haiti find safety in the United States through sponsorship. As word of her work spread through connections with her nonprofit, Rivly began expanding her efforts. She spoke with a coordinator from Integrated Refugee Immigration Services (IRIS) who shared information about the Uniting for Ukraine program, and Rivly soon connected with Ukrainians in need of sponsorship.
To date, Rivly and her growing group of supporters have sponsored 20 newcomers, primarily from Haiti, but also from Ukraine and Chile. Florendjie Camey, a 29-year-old psychology student from Haiti, is one of the newcomers who has benefited from the support of Rivly and her community. Florendjie unsuccessfully attempted to flee Haiti three times before she connected with Rivly and her foundation.
“The situation in Haiti has affected all aspects of life for all people in society. Even people that are in high or good positions, they are affected by the economic situation,” Florendjie said. “It's even worse for those that are unemployed. And, even though you follow all the steps in terms of what you should do, in regards to educating yourself, you still have a hard time making ends meet. Therefore, most if not all the young people, they always look for a way to leave the country.”
For Florendjie, that opportunity came thanks to a connection between her mother and Rivly’s mother who knew each other in Haiti.
In January 2023, Rivly applied to sponsor Florendjie through the Processes for Cubans, Haitians, Niacarguans, and Venezuelans. In September, Florendjie said goodbye to her family and flew by herself to the United States.
A flood of emotions hit Florendjie when she arrived in the U.S. “It was a mix of emotions. First, sadness. Kind of bittersweet because I was leaving my family, my country, behind. But at the same time, I was excited because I knew that I was going to a place where I would change my life. And I know that I'll also be able to better help or assist my home country in the future,” she said.
And that promise for a better future is what pushes her forward. She is taking courses to improve her English and is completing certifications to improve her job skills while she searches for employment.
These are the moments during the sponsorship experience that inspire Rivly’s work. She has received an outpouring of support from a group of 10 community members who help with everything from fundraising to securing housing for newcomers. She also met two beneficiaries—a Ukrainian and a Cuban—at an event hosted by Church World Services, who have been immensely helpful in providing translation support and sharing information about the programs they relied on to find refuge in the U.S.
And Rivly has no plans to stop—she has applied to sponsor beneficiaries through every humanitarian sponsorship program currently available, supporting individuals and families from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, Venezuela, and Ukraine.
“I just want to help someone, just want to make an impact on someone. That's all that matters,” Rivly said. “And really, that's the most that I'm getting out of this experience is the fact that I'm able to inspire. I'm able to assist, and I'm able to motivate different people from different walks of life, given the circumstances that they find themselves in.”
Florendjie said that the act of sponsorship has changed her life forever. “When you sponsor someone, not only do you help that person, you save that person's life.”
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