Thank you for your interest in volunteering with the IRC in Sacramento!
Our volunteers provide critical programmatic support that allows us to deliver quality services to our clients. Volunteers help manage the day-to-day operations of the IRC in Sacramento through assistance across all departments.
The physical IRC office is now fully open and we continue to deliver client services both remotely and in-person. We are currently engaging volunteers with activities such as donation deliveries, client food distributions, and in-office administrative work.
Please note that due to limited capacity, it may take multiple weeks to process your application. We thank you in advance for your patience. For questions, email [email protected].
Ready to get the process started? Click here to complete an online application.
COMMITMENT
Hours per week: 3–6 hours per week, during IRC’s regular business hours of 9 am – 5 pm, Monday – Friday. Volunteer schedules outside of business hours can sometimes be accommodated depending on the program.
Duration: 4–6 months. Longer volunteer commitments encouraged.
All volunteers must be at least 18 years of age and undergo a security background check. A $40 contribution to offset the cost of the background check is required upon accepting the volunteer position.
VOLUNTEER PLACEMENTS
Resettlement Case Management
The Resettlement Program provides case management services for refugees, Special Immigrant Visa holders (SIVs), and parolees from arrival up to 90 days that assist with acclimating, accessing resources, and preparing for success in the U.S. Volunteers assist with completing administrative work and delivering services to clients.
Cultural Orientation
The Cultural Orientation Program delivers classes to newly arrived refugees about U.S. culture, laws, and resources; orients refugees to their new lives; and teaches them how to navigate American systems. Volunteers assist with teaching Cultural Orientation classes and completing administrative tasks.
Early Employment & Economic Empowerment
Early Employment & Economic Empowerment programming offers tailored case management, job-readiness training, financial literacy, and supportive services that help clients attain financial self-sufficiency and progress in their professional goals. Volunteers assist with completing administrative work and delivering services to clients.
Adult Education
The Adult Education Program offers Vocational English as a Second Language (VESL), Job-Readiness Training (JRT), and Employment Services to help refugee students build their English language capabilities, work readiness skills, and search for employment. Volunteers assist with teaching VESL and JRT classes and completing administrative tasks.
Career Pathways Professional Mentorship
The Career Pathways Program assists clients to obtain professional jobs within the fields of Healthcare, Administration, Finance, Security, Construction/Engineering, IT, and Transportation. Mentors are paired with a client whose field of interest matches the mentor's profession. Mentors implement IRC career training, connect clients with technical off-site career training, and assisting the Career Development staff in ensuring that participants secure professional employment.
Youth RISE Tutoring
The Youth RISE Program offers young adult clients, 18-24 years of age, with education, training, and support that results in enrollment in post-secondary education and/or employment within fields such as Healthcare, Administration, or Public Services. Volunteers tutor RISE students, who are receiving instruction below the postsecondary education level, in English and/or math skills.
PREP In-School Tutoring
The PREP Program helps newly arrived refugee teens get off to a strong start in the US. Volunteers support students in one-on-one or small group tutoring and mentoring sessions. Sessions will be three days per week, after school, on high school campuses this Fall 2023 for ten weeks.
Community Wellness
Community Wellness programming includes long-term case management, community education, and health and mental health services that promote the wellbeing of refugees and facilitate healing and self-sufficiency. Volunteers assist with completing administrative work and delivering services to clients.
Immigration Legal Services
The Immigration Program offers immigrants legal assistance with adjustment of status, work authorization, naturalization, travel documentation, family reunification, and more. Volunteers assist primarily with administrative work such as filing government applications.
Anti-Trafficking
The HOPE (Human trafficking Outreach, Prevention, and Education) program offers trauma-informed, client-centered, intensive case management and financial direct assistance to support survivors of labor and sex trafficking on their path to safety, security, and self-sufficiency. Volunteers assist with completing administrative work and delivering services to clients.
New Roots Gardening
The New Roots Program is a community agriculture initiative that aims to engage refugee youth and adults in local gardening and farming, improve refugee food security and nutrition education, and promote refugee access to healthy eating options. Volunteers support with community gardening and farming activities, including on Saturdays.
Language Interpretation & Translation
The IRC in Sacramento needs volunteers to provide interpretation and/or translation services for any of the following languages: Dari, Farsi, Pashto, Arabic, Spanish, Russian, Ukrainian.
GENERAL REQUIREMENTS
Our office is a fast-paced environment that is successful due to both the personal initiative of individual staff members and the team-like mentality of the entire organization. The ideal volunteer will be able to complete their daily responsibilities, to solve problems with minimal supervision, and to provide support as needed to the overall team. Volunteers work alongside staff and interns to provide direct services.
Candidates must possess the following qualities:
- Comfort working remotely and using Zoom/Teams and other platforms to engage in and support services
- Reliable with strong attention to timeliness
- Excellent communication skills (both intercultural, interpersonal, and with supervisors)
- Possess a great attention to detail
- Organized and able to multi-task
- Have a strong sense of personal initiative
- Digital fluency with proficiency in Microsoft Office and social media networks
- Able to work with a team and independently in a fast-paced setting
- Proficiency in foreign languages are a huge plus, especially Dari/Farsi, Pashto, Spanish, Arabic, Ukrainian, and Russian
APPLICATION PROCESS
Excited to volunteer with us? Click here to complete an online application.
Email [email protected] for more information.
