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Volunteer
Charlottesville, VA

Volunteer opportunities

Thank you for your interest in welcoming refugees to your community. By volunteering with the IRC in Charlottesville, VA, you use your skills to help people who have fled violence and persecution to rebuild their lives in America. See below for the latest volunteer opportunities and how to apply.

Last updated 

Current opportunities

Charlottesville, VA

Academic Year Internships

Start date: Ongoing

Apply to be an intern with the IRC in Charlottesville during the academic year!
Charlottesville, VA

New Roots Farm Volunteer

Start date: Ongoing

Help New Roots farmers and staff with ongoing projects at the farm and community gardens!
Charlottesville, VA

Child Watch Volunteer - Cultural Orientation

Start date: Ongoing

Entertain children while their parents participate in IRC programs.
Charlottesville, VA

Airbnb Open Homes Host - Charlottesville

Start date: Ongoing

Host a newly-arriving refugee family while the IRC identifies suitable longterm housing
Charlottesville, VA

Immigration Assistant Volunteer

Start date: Ongoing

Provide administrative support for our immigration team
Charlottesville, VA

Job Readiness Training (JRT) Instructor

Start date: Ongoing

Help newly-arriving refugees develop skills to find and retain jobs.
Charlottesville, VA

ESL Tutor

Start date: Ongoing

Help refugees improve their English!
Charlottesville, VA

Resettlement Store Volunteer

Start date: Ongoing

Process in-kind donations and help refugee access needed goods

Volunteer process

  1. Familiarize yourself with the IRC and review our current available volunteer positions. Choose 3 that best fit your interests, skills, and schedule.

  2. Complete a volunteer application by following this link. Once your application has been received, the Volunteer Coordinator will contact you regarding upcoming Volunteer Orientation dates within 10 business days. All Volunteer Orientations take place at the IRC Charlottesville office, located at 609 East Main St, Suite 104, Charlottesville, VA 22902.

  3. After you have attended a Volunteer Orientation and your application has been reviewed, you may be selected for a brief phone interview to discuss potential placement options.

  4. Once the interview is confirmed and conducted, successful interviewees will complete the necessary background checks.* To protect our clients, we require background checks for all our volunteers, and we ask volunteers to make a $35 donation to cover associated costs. Currently, 92% of our funding goes directly to our clients, and your help to cover this cost allows us to continue providing the best service possible. This step can add 1-2 weeks to the process, but is typically very fast.

  5. Once cleared, you're ready to get started! Depending on your role, you'll either receive further training from your in-office department or will be invited to attend a tutor training before being matched with a family to tutor and/or mentor.

Additional things to note

*You must be 18 years or older to volunteer and complete a background check. For High School Opportunities, please email [email protected].

Most positions require at least a 3 month volunteer commitment with up to 5 hours per week. If this is not feasible for you, please email us about our on-call opportunities.

Please email [email protected] with any questions.