How Can I Help?

Thank you for your interest in volunteering with Hearts & Homes for Refugees! Community Sponsorship is a commitment of 6 to 12 months - some roles require a shorter commitment (for example setting up an apartment or helping to find a job), while roles supporting education or health tend to be longer.

Qualities of a good volunteer include willingness to serve a family of any nationality, willingness to make a commitment and patience if you are not matched to a volunteer opportunity right away.

Please also know that volunteering won't necessarily mean that you meet an arriving family right away. In order to not overwhelm our new neighbors, there is a limit to how many volunteers directly interact with the refugees - this is especially true during the first weeks, and even more so in the current Covid context. Whether you meet in person, by Zoom, or are behind the scenes, your help is greatly needed!


















Please enter you birthdate.As you move forward in the process of volunteering, we will send you a background check request through Sterling Volunteers. Birthdate is ONLY collected at this point so that we can successfully invite you to complete a background check at a later time. This is for the safety of our volunteers and refugee clients. We will not order any check without your consent, but rather connect you with Sterling Volunteers so that you can control the ordering of the check.
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Different roles demand different lengths of commitment. Please indicate the minimum amount of time you are looking to volunteer.

Community Sponsorship Interests
Housing - Scout out affordable housing (securing, assists with lease signing)
Furniture & Clothing - Our new neighbors need a home that is fully furnished, some clothing needs --NOT an overabundance--and often, diapers. Initially, these volunteers make sure the necessities are in place: beds, new mattresses, furniture, housewares, plates, kitchen supplies, and all room items. (Established local partners such as Furniture Sharehouse, and thrift shops can help) Committee volunteers are responsible for cleaning, staging, and transportation "Move-In Day."
Community Orientation - Show family where to grocery shop, how to navigate public transportation, get a library card, etc.
Education - Learn the school registration process before the family arrives. Register children at school and the family for English/education/training classes as needed. Identify educational needs, school resources for English Language Learners. Interface with the school system to obtain needed support, provide advocacy in some areas if needed, and maintain interaction with involved teaching professionals if necessary as a liaison. Ensure children are registered for school busing and explain this to parents and children (times, stops, etc.). Hearts & Homes has a cross-cohort Education/ESOL committee and resources/relationships to assist the Education Committee.
ESOL & Adult Ed - Determine language training needs and organize appropriate support according to needs (children, parents.) Register adults for ESOL, provide supplemental ESOL support. Identify and support adult education as needed.
Employment - Identify potential employment opportunities. Help interviewing and working with the adults to determine skills, help finding interviews, interview preparation.
Family Budgeting & Finances - Help with family budgeting and finances, including setting up a bank account, credit and taxes. Work with the family on a timeline of self-sufficiency in 6-12 months. Co-chairs must be comfortable having sometimes difficult conversations about money.
Driving - Organize/Oversee transportation as needed for family to doctor's appointments, school meetings, etc. Commitment to drive more than one time is required and preference is for drivers who can participate over 4-6 month period. Volunteers must have a clean driving record.
Government Services - Help apply for Social Security cards at the local Social Security office, apply for SNAP at the local Dept. of Social Services, ID Card/Drivers License enrollment and other government agencies as needed.
Healthcare - Help the family navigate the medical insurance system. Attend the various appointments that constitute the initial health screenings. Connect the family to a medical home that accepts Medicaid. Assist with orientation about the healthcare system, as well as managing any medical issue that may arise.
Organizational - Volunteer Coordination - Help recruit volunteers, keep track of their information and hours volunteered. Oversee and link volunteer assignments to the family support and assistance teams. Chair(s) liaise between the committees and designated point persons at Hearts & Homes for Refugees and the Resettlement Agency.

Languages
Please select any languages you speak, aside from English.
Albanian
Arabic
Burmese
Cantonese
Farsi/Dari
French
German
Hebrew
Hindi
Italian
Korean
Latvian
Mandarin
Nepali
Other
Pashto
Portuguese
Punjabi
Russian
Sango
Spanish
Telugu
Ukrainian
Urdu


Are you associated with any communities (church, mosque, temple, book club, gym etc.) who you think might be interested in joining you to form a team to volunteer with a recently arrived family or individual? If so, please include that in your comments below. Please also suggest other ways you might be able to assist refugees, or elaborate on your choices above for Community Sponsorship Interests or Languages.