News from Elizabeth, NJ

Read about how Abdulrasul and Bakry received a raise shortly after obtaining their first job in the U.S.!

Raffi Gostanian came to the United States from Syria 15 years ago on a student visa. A jazz musician who plays the saxophone and piano, he intended to study music but graduated with a political science degree from William Paterson University. As a front desk volunteer at IRC for the last 10 months, Raffi has diligently trekked twice a week from Paterson, home to a large Arab community, to IRC’s office in Elizabeth.

The career development intern focuses on assisting clients through career counseling to advance beyond entry-level jobs and to resume their professional careers after resettlement.

The Immigration Program provides fee-based services to refugees, asylees, Cuban/Haitian entrants and other immigrants in New Jersey. The intern will work closely with IRC staff to provide legal services to clients seeking assistance with various forms of immigration.

Volunteer interpreters will provide interpretation and translation on an on-call basis for clients and staff. Volunteer Interpreters needed (Arabic, French, Haitian Creole, Kiswahili, Dari, Farsi, Pashto, Tigrinya and Other Languages).

The IRC in New Jersey seeks volunteer teachers to support English language learning among recently arrived adult refugees who have fled persecution in their home country and are rebuilding their lives in New Jersey.  IRC holds ESL classes twice a week during weekday mornings and afternoons. The volunteer must commit to teaching their assigned class for the entire 8-9 week cycle. Strong preference will be given to volunteers who can teach for a period of six months

The IRC in New Jersey seeks volunteer teachers to support English language learning among recently arrived adult refugees who have fled persecution in their home country and are rebuilding their lives in New Jersey. IRC will hold 1.5 hour morning and evening classes of group instruction twice a week. (Wednesday/Friday schedule and Tuesday/Thursday schedule.) Volunteers must commit to teaching a selected schedule until the session commences in late June 2019.

The intern assists staff in providing intensive case management services to newly arrived refugees with medical/mental health needs, and helps refugee families access health care.

The intern will work with refugees and other humanitarian entrants up to five years after they have arrived in the United States.

The new arrival casework Intern will assist case management staff in providing reception and placement services to newly arrived refugees as they adjust to their new lives in the US.