Refugee Volunteer Opportunities
Thanks for your interest in volunteering with the International Rescue Committee (IRC). Learn more about opportunities to help refugees in the United States and around the world. You can even volunteer with the IRC online.
In the United States
The IRC’s U.S. offices rely on volunteers to support their work helping refugees adjust to a new life in the U.S
Volunteers work closely with IRC staff members to:
- Tutor refugees in basic English skills
- Help refugees write resumes and prepare for job interviews
- Contact potential employers on behalf of refugees
- Assist IRC staff with cultural orientation
- Accompany refugees to various appointments
- Pick up donated furniture and goods and deliver them to refugees’ new homes
- Provide basic office support
- Help staff write grants and maintain a grants database
- Help staff with media relations and publications such as newsletters, brochures and annual reports
- Mentor refugee families or individuals
We look for volunteers with:
- Excellent communication and interpersonal skills
- Flexibility, patience and the ability to work in a multi-cultural environment
- The ability to work well in a team as well as independently
Helpful, but not essential:
- Prior experience working with refugees, asylees or immigrants
- Fluency in another language (French, Arabic, Somali, Vietnamese, Bosnian, Russian, etc.)
For more information or to volunteer, please contact the IRC office in your area.
Global Programs
We also periodically post volunteer opportunities with IRC programs worldwide. Please visit our Job Search page and select "Volunteer" from the "Work Schedule" menu.
Online
Help spread the word about humanitarian issues and the work that we do.
- If you have a blog or Web site, please link to us!
- Become a fan of the IRC on our official Facebook Fan Page and join our official Facebook cause
- Follow us on Twitter
- Tell your friends about us and share our stories (look for the handy icons)
- Visit Sparked.com, where we sometimes post "virtual" volunteer opportunities




