We are excited to announce our Spring Fundraiser! 

Arts for Asylum Seekers  

A month of creative sharing.

Responding to a growing need

Chittenden Asylum Seekers Assistance Network (CASAN)'s mission is to assist people in Chittenden County who are in the legal process of seeking asylum. Supported by local volunteers and by donors near and far, we provide welcome and support as people strive to begin new lives in safety.  We connect them with available resources, and offer assistance as needed, and as we have capacity, with housing, basic living expenses, transportation, legal fees, and other necessary support. 

Asylum seekers are not eligible for work permits until well into the asylum process, and do not qualify for many kinds of government assistance, in contrast to those with refugee status. As more people seeking asylum come to our area, the need for funding is becoming even more acute. 

CASAN's main funding drive for 2025 will be an April event ~ Arts for Asylum Seekers ~ that brings together the arts and social justice to assist people who are seeking asylum in our community.


How does it work?

Arts for Asylum Seekers is not a virtual art auction. Instead, it is modeled on a walk-a-thon, but instead of walking, participants, called Creatives, make art, write, play music, or do some other creative project. Creatives will reach out to friends and family to ask them to sponsor their participation in Arts for Asylum Seekers. Sponsors will make a donation to CASAN in exchange for receiving content from the Creatives throughout April through email or another virtual avenue.

Creatives can be visual artists, sculptors, crafters, poets, writers, musicians, photographers, gardeners, etc. Creatives of all ages and all skill levels, amateur or professional, are welcome to participate. Each Creative will choose a project to do in April. A Creative's project could be to write a poem a week, or make a sketch a day. Or, they could choose to do a larger project and share their progress, sending out a section of a story, or photos of a quilt as it comes together. 

With the Creative’s permission, CASAN will help Creatives find sponsors by publicizing their work on the CASAN website and Facebook.

Click here to view a video of the 2024 Creatives' work to give you an idea of the kinds of projects Creatives have offered before.


Interested in participating as a Creative? Click here for details and to sign up.


Interested in participating as a Sponsor? Check back on March 1st, when sponsor sign up opens.


The Arts for Asylum Seekers event is inspired by Central Vermont Refugee Action Network's March Arts Marathon. Many thanks to CVRAN for sharing their idea and experience.


For further questions and information, contact artsforasylumseekers@casasnvermont.org.