Scope of Work: Welcome newcomers to our community by being one of the first friendly faces our clients see! When our refugee arrivals land at Sea Tac airport, caseworkers meet them at their arrival gate, help navigate families through the airport to baggage claim, and finally bring them to their
temporary or permanent housing. This is the most heart-warming moments of refugee resettlement: when family and friends are reunited after many years and a new chapter begins.

Our clients generally arrive at the airport between 3p-11p and the whole process takes about 4-5 hours from start to finish. On average we receive 8-10 cases per week, with an average case size of 4. At present we are mostly seeing arrivals from Afghanistan, Eritrea, Burma, and Congo, though this always
changes!

An Airport Pickup Volunteer offers the resettlement caseworker the chance to focus on more technical aspects of the airport pickup, while the Airport Pickup Volunteer can provide extra guidance to navigate through the airport, find clients’ luggage, load clients’ luggage into vans, and help get the family settled
for their first night in the United States. This is an opportunity to understand how a refugee resettlement agency operates and is a tangible way to make a significant difference in a newcomer’s life without needing extensive training, language abilities, or much more than a welcoming attitude.


Time Commitment: We request assistance with at least 1 airport pickup every two weeks. A pick-up usually lasts between 4-5 hours. Most arrivals come Monday through Thursday with some exceptions on Friday. Cases do not arrive on weekends. Cases arrive anywhere from 3p-11p, meaning the whole
process could begin anywhere from 1:30p and end anywhere before 2a, depending on the different variables.

Location: Most pickups begin at our warehouse at 2365 S 200 St. SeaTac, WA 98198

Requirements:

  • Strong intercultural communications skills, demonstrated ability to work effectively with people from diverse backgrounds and across language barriers.
  • Willingness to adhere to IRC volunteer and workplace policies
  • Must have access to reliable transportation (NOTE: volunteers are not allowed to drive clients or operate IRC vehicles but must be able to consistently arrive to volunteer on-time and be able to return home safely if the later hours)
  • Must pass a background check

 

How to apply:

1. Attend an orientation/info session. Register here.

2. Please fill out a volunteer application

3. Volunteer Coordinator or IRC staff will follow up