The IRC in Abilene works diligently with refugee families upon arrival to help them learn US customs and culture as well as systems in the US that are new to refugee clients. Often, it can be difficult for refugee clients to learn US culture in a classroom setting. Through mentorships, IRC clients can have a friend to help them learn things like English, US culture, how to shop at US grocery stores, etc. Mentoring a refugee family/youth is a great opportunity for cultural exchange for both the mentor and mentee.
Location: Various locations in the Abilene area.
Time Commitment: At least 6 months with a minimum of 2 hours a week.
Duties:
- Help mentee(s) learn to take public transportation, access community resources, find culturally appropriate foods, access public libraries, etc.
- Serve as a first friend, cultural mentor and advocate.
- Focus on activities geared towards achieving self-sufficiency and English acquisition.
Ready to start?
- RSVP (click on RSVP to reserve your spot) to attend an information session.
- Complete a volunteer application (click on volunteer application to fill out form).
- A background check and 2 reference checks will be done.
- To protect our clients, we require background checks for all our volunteers, and we ask volunteers to make a $45 donation to cover associated costs. Currently, 92% of our funding goes directly to our clients, and your help to cover this cost allows us to continue providing the best service possible. These donations can be made at the IRC in Abilene office during normal business hours. For inquiries regarding the donation specifically, please reach out by emailing us at [email protected] or by calling (325) 675-5643.
- Complete onboarding training and paperwork.
Additional Information
Please email us at [email protected] with questions.