Meet John - Housing Volunteer 

John began his volunteer service supporting immigrants and refugees with Soft Landing in 2016, however after the opening of the IRC in 2017, he began supporting IRC's housing services. John is best known for his willing attitude, kind spirit, and his truck! John often supports our housing team with donation pick-ups, deliveries, and housing set-ups and moving days.

Beyond this, John is a great handyman, and has fixed his fair share of cabinets and connected many a washing machine and dryer. John said he is "driven by a great amount of sympathy for people throughout the world, especially in the Middle East and Africa, who experience unimaginable difficulties and oppression who seek to have better lives for themselves and their families." As a volunteer, John says that he appreciates most the opportunity to learn from our new neighbors, and become familiar with their culture and life stories. 

When asked about his favorite memory as a volunteer, John recounts, "One of the clients from Afghanistan that I assisted in moving invited my wife and me over to their apartment where we enjoyed a typical meal from their home country while sitting on the floor. It was a true experience of a different culture." 

Meet Tim and Sue

Tim and Sue are a dynamic duo! They both support the IRC in different capacities, but we are grateful for their continued support of new Americans. The couple began their volunteer service in 2019. They were inspired to get involved after volunteering at a refugee camp in Thessaloniki, Greece, in 2016. Tim said, "We met some families who were fleeing violence from Iraq and Syria. It had a big impact on us and we realized how much people could help others who are making a huge transition to a new country." 

Tim and Sue initially began volunteering with the IRC as family mentors, for a family from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and from Syria. Since then, Sue has offered crucial support for the IRC's employment programs, volunteering at computer classes and assisting with vocational English courses. She's also gone above and beyond, by teaching American Heart Association Heartsaver classes to employees at Little Twigs, a local daycare that regularly works with the IRC to hire New Americans. 

Tim, most recently, served as a volunteer for the IRC's Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program and helped numerous families and individuals file their taxes this spring. 

One of their favorite memories as volunteers has been helping the family from the DRC move into a new apartment! They reflected that, "There were so many people who helped them and us set up their new home. It made us realize that we are all in this together and want what's best for all families." 

 

Meet Vanessa - Employment Volunteer

Vanessa began volunteering with the IRC last August, and we can already feel the immense impact that she's made! Vanessa is an employment volunteer with the IRC, so she often supports the employment team with program logistics and training facilitation.

She also supported the VITA program this spring, conducting the intake process and "helping new Americans navigate the complex process of filing their US taxes for the first time." Vanessa said, "Volunteering with the IRC connected my interest in community development work with my broader curiosity about the world, and I'm learning how the IRC staff skillfully navigate the art of working with communities to facilitate positive change at the grassroots level."  

Her favorite thing about volunteering with the IRC? Vanessa said "It's been a formative experience for me, meaning I'm doing a lot of listening and learning. The employment team is a group of caring and driven individuals who work hard to understand and find solutions to empower each member of the community they work with." 

 

 

You can stand alongside new Americans, just like John, Tim, Sue, and Vanessa! Getting started as a volunteer with the IRC is easy! Sign up for an interest session here and email [email protected] with any questions.