A Volunteer and His Civic Duty

One of the most rewarding aspects of working at the IRC is having the opportunity to work with and learn from people who bring their unique life experiences to the job. Our teams are made up of full-time staff, volunteers and interns who play an important role in moving our mission forward.  This week, we are excited to shine some light on one of our volunteers, Terry Williams. During our conversation, he shared that this month will mark his one year anniversary volunteering with the organization! 

Prior to joining the IRC, Terry worked in Human Resources. He described the parallel of his purpose working in HR and the work the IRC does for clients by saying, “My job was to help the employee get to be from where they are to where they felt they needed to be. The IRC helps to do that also. They help an individual to get to be from where they are to where they need to be a full human being - to be a holistic human being.” He feels we all contribute in successfully resettling refugees no matter how big or small our responsibilities are. 

Terry’s desire to get involved started back in 2011 at the start of the Syrian war. “What caught my heart and my mind was images of these families just walking across deserts - these barren lands with little kids hanging on to the hems of their mothers’ skirts and men with packs on their back who didn’t know where they were going.”  He was based in El Paso, Texas at the time and didn’t know where to begin. After volunteering at a few local organizations, he found himself in Mexico where he worked with migrants and asylum seekers at the border. 

It wasn’t until he visited a church-based asylum center in Las Cruces, New Mexico, where he developed an understanding of the seriousness of the situation immigrants face.  “I met a man whose family had been ripped from him,” he recalled. “ICE had come in and had taken his wife and his son and immediately deported them to Columbia. He and his younger son were left in Las Cruces.” ICE had attempted to come for him and his son too, but they were safe in the church-based asylum center. Who Terry described as an, “upbeat man, with a great sense of humor,” also added, “ had this deep resentment about what happened.”

After some time, Terry moved to Tucson and wanted to remain involved in his community and to continue his civic duty, which he defined as, “a civic commitment that is committed to everybody, everywhere, all the time.” And the IRC provided him with that opportunity. When he first came on board, he was placed at the front desk. Being at the front desk came with its challenges, but prepared him for the work he does now with the Immigration team. He shared, “The front desk is the first impression that people have, but it’s also the frontline of issues that come through the door because there are folks who come through who are frustrated, they are afraid, they are unsure of what is going on; they don’t what the status of their case may be.”

Before making his way to volunteer with the newly formed Immigration team, Terry  also volunteered with the Afghan Placement & Assistance Program (APA) where they were housing groups of Afghan refugees. He ran the clothing store within a hotel room where families could receive a pair of shoes and clothing to change into.

In reflection, he shared an interaction that he will always remember when running the clothing store. To set the scene, a mother came in with her two daughters and requested for shoes for them. There were only 2 pairs in the room at that time. The shoes were a perfect fit, but the mother placed one pair of shoes back on the shelf.  

Terry asked, “you want those shoes, don’t you, for your daughter?”

She said, “I do.”

There was another woman who was waiting outside with her daughter.

The mother continued, “But if I take this shoe then my [sister in community] won’t have any for her daughter.”

In sharing this story, it brought up a lot of emotions in Terry. He added, “look at this beauty, this humanity in the midst of their need and their wants and their not knowing what happens next, she’s saying I can’t take it all, I can’t be greedy, somebody else needs a pair of shoes too.” This was one of the many interactions he has had during his time with the IRC so far.

Terry currently volunteers with the Immigration team, which was formed in the year 2021. He assists with closing out and archiving case files, but he credits his time at the front desk for preparing him for the work he does with Immigration. “My leadership at the front desk prepared me for all the stuff I do in Immigration now,” he shared.

When you volunteer with us, you are an essential part of our team. If you were to come in and inquire about volunteering with us, here is what Terry would say, “you’ve come to the right place. This will give you some life experience that you can’t get anywhere else. You will hear different languages, see different cultural context, work with a great group of people and you can’t get that out of education, out of a book you can’t learn it, you experience it. And it’s going to be a life-changing experience so come on board."

Our work at the IRC would not be possible without the passion and dedication of our staff, volunteers, and interns. Thank you, Terry, for being a part of our team and for sharing your story.  We are grateful to have you!

Are you interested in volunteering with IRC in Tucson? Check out our open volunteer positions and apply today.