News from San Jose, CA

1 in 10 eligible voters are new Americans! The IRC is here to support with voter education to support naturalized citizens and eligible voters. If you are not eligible to vote, do not register to vote as it will have consequences on your immigration status. If you are not yet a U.S. citizen, contact the IRC's immigration services by calling or texting (408) 472-3675.

It is with great pleasure that I share with you the news that IRC has welcomed Sarah Terlouw as the new executive director of the IRC Northern California offices. Sarah is not new to the IRC family. She most recently served as the country director for the IRC operations in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), consisting of 6 offices and a team of more than 700 staff across the country.

With Santa Clara County seeing a continued upward trend in daily positivity rates for COVID-19, IRC San Jose has remained in full-remote work since mid-March. As we delved deeper into the summer of 2020, this reality made us question the future of Vision 2.0: Summer Job Academy (hereinafter referred to as Vision). Vision is an immigrant-female empowerment workshop aimed at allowing participants to learn about different career paths, to reflect on their personal goals, and to work towards envisioning themselves achieving their goals. Read further to see how we navigated the barriers posed by COVID-19 to still offer this workshop this summer!

IRC San Jose’s newest initiative, the B.R.I.D.G.E. Youth Mentorship program, has just hit its 10-month mark! This exciting new program focused on supporting the integration and social, educational, and vocational pursuits of refugee youth has been a long-time dream of the San Jose office.

In honor of World Refugee Day, we will be accepting select donations on June 20, 2020 in our office parking lot. Happy World Refugee Day!

This position will help support the Volunteer Coordinator’s efforts to recruit, train, and support volunteers at the IRC San Jose office. This position allows for great learning regarding the use of popular platforms (e.g. Salesforce, Handshake, Linkedin, etc.) and responsibility on part of the volunteer to build community support in order to provide the necessary support to staff for the successful completion of program deliverables and client services. This is an excellent position for those looking to gain a broader understanding of work in the nonprofit sector and make a large impact in the work of the IRC. This position reports to the Volunteer and Donations Coordinator and requires a minimum 8 hr/week commitment.

Meeting our clients’ material needs are a critical part of the resettlement process in the United States. Donations from hygiene supplies to bicycles and laptops affect their ability to be employed, their access to public services, and integration with the community. Volunteers will assist the Volunteer & Donations Coordinator with outreach, the intake and inventory of in-kind donations and the preparation/delivery of said goods to our clients. Volunteers will work with IRC Staff to identify what items clients need and strategize how to meet these needs with the Volunteer and Donations Coordinator. Volunteers will also assist in valuation of goods, tracking of distributions, and drafting reports to assure grant compliance regarding donation requirements. This position reports to the Volunteer and Donations Coordinator.

Thank you for your interest in assisting refugees and asylees in our community. By volunteering with the IRC San Jose, you can share your unique experience and skills directly with IRC clients. Volunteer support is an integral part of the IRC's mission to provide opportunities for refugees to thrive in San Jose. The BRIDGE Youth Program is a youth mentoring program that pairs refugee youth aged 15-24 with members of their community that support their academic, professional, and community development in their new homes. This position reports to the Youth Connections Coach.

For IRC clients to become fully self-sufficient, they must be taught financial literacy. Financial Literacy Instructors are responsible for teaching monthly workshops on topics such as credit, banking, and budgeting. These modules are critical to help new Americans understand the basics of the American financial system.

We are continuously addressing the current and potential impacts this outbreak will have on IRC programs in Northern California (Oakland, Sacramento, San Jose, Turlock/Modesto). IRC is providing critical information in all relevant languages to IRC employees, volunteers, refugees, victims of trafficking, asylees, and other hard-to-reach populations. We are working hard to ensure families have access to life essentials: food, internet and devices, cash assistance and all eligible public benefits.