Come to a Volunteer Orientation to learn about the work of USCRI to support refugees in the the Capital Region, and to find out how to get involved!
Our next Volunteer Orientation will be held May 15 from 6:00 - 7:30pm. All orientations will be held at the USCRI Office, 991 Broadway, upstairs in Suite 223. (We're in the 'Nipper' building with the big dog on top!)
Support a Refugee in Albany
Volunteers help refugees form a positive first impression of the United States, and support them in making a smooth transition into their new home. Your help – whether 10 hours a week or 10 hours a year – will make a real difference in refugees' lives, and provide you with an extremely rewarding experience.
There are many ways to stand with a refugee. How you get involved depends on your skills and interests, and the time you have available. We are looking for Volunteers to:
- Refugee Mentor: Mentor a refugee family, helping them to navigate their new home, improve their English, and build self-sufficiency skills (2 hrs/week for 6 months)
- Patient Navigator Volunteer: Provide transporation & advocacy for essential health apppointments. Addtiional training session requited (6 hours/month; business hours)
- Workshop Leader: facilitate weekly job preparedness classes, or help with a 6-week series of Community Orientation seminars for new arrivals (2 hours weekly or monthly; business hours)
- Front Desk Volunteer: Engage with clients and staff in the USCRI office (3 hours/week, business hours)
- Housing Volunteer: Help set up apartments for new arrivals, sort donations in our warehouse, and/or collect donations of furniture and household goods (variable time commitment, business hours)
- Translator: Prove translation or interpretation services. Pprimary languages needed include Burmese, Karen, Karenni, Chin, Arabic, Nepali, French. We rarely serve Spanish-speaking immigrants. (on-cal, generally business hours)
- Community Engagement: Help to plan outreach and fundraising events, help coordinate volunteers and special programs (variable time commitment)
- English Teacher: Volunteers with prior teaching experience are welcome to help teach a weekly ESOL class to refugees. (2 hours/week for 6 months, class times vary)
To get started, we ask that you attend a Volunteer Orientation meeting, where we'll give you a thorough introduction to USCRI's work, the needs of our refugee and immigrant clients, and the ways volunteers can contribute. Orientation will be held May 15 at the USCRI office, 991 Broadway, upstairs in Suite 223. (We're in the 'Nipper' building with the big dog on top! Parking is available in the Arnoff lot on the south side of the building. For directions and other info, see our FAQs page.)
To RSVP or for more information please email info@uscri-albany.org
