Volunteer Opportunities

The Resume Assistance Volunteer will be working with the Economic Empowerment Department in assisting newly arrived clients with writing engaging resumes that showcase their skills and experience. This role is important to helping clients advertise their unique talents to potential employers and creating opportunities for greater financial/professional success!

The Job Readiness Training Volunteer will be working with the Economic Empowerment Department in creating, coordinating, and assisting the delivering workforce development training to newly arrived clients. The role is important to building skills and knowledge that clients can then translate into more employment opportunities and greater financial/professional success!

The Health Orientation Volunteer will conduct one-on-one orientations to the US healthcare system for clients or client families. This position will help our clients better understand how to access medical care in the US, what their rights are when accessing healthcare, and when to seek additional support. It will enable clients to independently access medical care, prioritizing their physical health and wellbeing.

The Community Events Volunteer will represent IRC Richmond at events throughout the greater Richmond area, hosting tables, distributing informational materials, collecting donations, and talking to the public about our work. This volunteer will help to raise awareness of and support for our mission, bolstering the resources and service available to benefit our clients.

The Checking Account Volunteer will work with the Economic Empowerment Department by helping clients to open up checking accounts at Wells Fargo. The volunteer will be responsible for picking up the client from their home, driving them to Wells Fargo, assisting with opening a checking account, and then driving the client back home. This role will ensure that clients have the ability to participate in existing economic systems for easy access to funds and to resources/services!

The Auto Purchase Volunteer will be responsible for assisting clients with the purchase of new-to-them vehicles. Volunteers will accompany clients to the seller/dealer to assist with the process of purchasing the vehicle. The support of volunteers will provide comfort and assistance to clients during a notoriously complicated process and help them attain a vehicle that will expand their access to resources and further their resettlement success!

The Anti-Trafficking Community Outreach Volunteer will work closely with the Anti-Trafficking Caseworker to coordinate an outreach plan and conduct community outreach. The purpose of this position is to assist with educating our community about the risk of domestic trafficking, preventing trafficking, and informing the community of IRC Richmond's trafficking casework services. This volunteer role will support IRC Richmond in serving trafficking survivors and preventing our community members from falling into domestic trafficking.

The Administrative Assistance Volunteer will help as needed around the office with clerical and other admin tasks. This will help to ensure organization and efficiency, enabling IRC staff to perform their work more effectively for the clients we serve!

English Language Tutor Volunteers (ELT) work with the Resource Development Department to consistently aid a client in building their English language skills. Volunteers may help with learning the alphabet, basic conversation, reading, writing, or may help more advanced clients hone their skills. This role will help clients develop skills that will make it easier to access services and resources within the community, meet the needs of their families, and access more lucrative employment opportunities!

The Bus Orientation Volunteer will work with the Resource Development Department to assist clients in navigating the Richmond public transportation system. This role is extremely important in expediting a client’s path to self-sufficiency and integration goals. While our clients are generally interested in acquiring vehicles as quickly as possible, this is often financially unattainable in the early stages of resettlement. By teaching clients to utilize public transportation, volunteers enable them greater access to community resources and employment opportunities while they save up for a car!

The Child Watch Volunteer will work with the Casework Department to care for client children at the IRC Richmond offi ce while their parents are attending ESL and other classes. Two volunteers will be working with client children at all times. This position enables removes the barrier that a lack of childcare creates to our clients receiving much-needed education and services, setting up both parents and children for greater resettlement success!

MyVA (Mentoring Youth in VA) Mentor Volunteers work with our Youth Programs Department to provide mentorship to young adult clients (age 15 to 24). These volunteers work closely with their client mentees, providing education and building skills that will help prepare them to successfully navigate the transition to adulthood in the United States.

The Public Benefits Volunteer will work with the Economic Empowerment Department by assisting clients in reapplying for public benefits programs for which they are eligible. This role will support clients outside of their initial resettlement period who are still working toward self-sufficiency and require additional support in the interim, ensuring that they have the means to meet their families' needs!

Family Mentor Volunteers will work with the Resource Development Department to provide 6 months of additional mentorship to client families facing greater barriers to resettlement success. Mentors will help client families learn to navigate systems and structures in the United States, furthering community integration and building self-sufficiency. Every client family will have different needs, and this role provides tailored support to help further client success!

The Grocery Shopping Volunteer will assist the Resource Development Department in ensuring that clients without appropriate transportation to grocery stores are able to acquire food for their families. Volunteers will drive clients to grocery stores and may assist with shopping if needed. While clients save up enough money to purchase a car or to utilize ridesharing services, this role will help clients continue to access food for their families!

The Appointment Scheduling Volunteer will assist our clients by scheduling medical appointments, including newcomer health screenings, school physicals, immunizations, and more! This position will support our newly arrived clients in securing medical care while they continue learning how to navigate our US healthcare systems, and will expand our capacity to connect clients to medical care more quickly upon arrival!

Our Reception Volunteer will work with our office receptionist to cover the front desk while our receptionist is attending to other tasks or in staff meetings/trainings. This volunteer will represent IRC Richmond to clients and members of the public with warmth, patience, and compassion. This position helps IRC Richmond to serve our clients and engage with our community efficiently!

The Mail Delivery Volunteer will assist the Casework Department in helping to deliver mail from the IRC Richmond office to the client's house. Mail is delivered to the IRC Richmond office to prevent loss of mail when clients move from temporary to permanent housing, and this role will be important in ensuring that clients receive important communication in a timely manner!

The SNAP Volunteer (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or food stamps) will assist the Casework Department in ensuring clients are connected to and know how to use food stamps. In connecting clients to these benefits, this volunteer will enable clients who are not yet financially self-sufficient to acquire food for their families while in early stages of resettlement!

The Social Security Volunteer will work with the Casework Department team by assisting clients with submitting social security applications. The volunteer will be responsible for picking up the completed application from the IRC Richmond office and then transporting the client to the social security office. The role enables clients to receive a social security card, which will then enable them to find employment and build economic self-sufficiency in the US!

The Medical Appointment Transportation Volunteers works with our Family Wellbeing Department to help mitigate the barriers that our clients encounter when it comes to transportation for medical care. The volunteer will pick up clients from their homes, drive clients to medical appointments, and drive clients back to their homes, enabling families to access needed medical services while learning to navigate public transportation on their own!

The Wi-Fi Setup Volunteer will assist the Casework Department with connecting clients to low-cost or free internet in their homes. This will enable our low-income clients to expand their access to resources, education, and employment, setting them up for additional success and better self-sufficiency as they build new lives in RVA!

The Pre-Arrival Grocery Volunteer will be assisting the Casework Department by picking up pre-ordered groceries from Wal-Mart and delivering them to the client's temporary housing. The volunteer will unpack the groceries and store them appropriately. This role ensures that clients have fresh food waiting for them upon arrival to welcome them to Richmond!