Overview:
The Safety & Wellness team provides intensive case management to refugees, survivors of torture, victims of crime, victims of human trafficking and asylum-seeking families living in Arizona. We are seeking a compassionate, creative Volunteer Sewing Group Facilitator to lead a weekly group for Dari-speaking women originally from Afghanistan.
This group will offer participants a safe and welcoming space to build community, share stories, and strengthen skills through sewing projects. The volunteer facilitator will provide guidance on basic sewing techniques and support participants in creating culturally meaningful items.
Key Responsibilities:
- Lead a weekly sewing group for Afghan women in Dari (with interpretation support)
- Foster a welcoming, inclusive, and culturally sensitive group environment
- Support participants in learning basic sewing techniques
- Coordinate with IRC staff to prepare materials and manage logistics
- Communicate regularly with IRC staff about group needs
- Provide support to participants as needed, referring them to IRC staff for additional services
Requirements:
- Experience with sewing (formal training not required)
- Experience using a sewing machine
- Strong interpersonal and cross-cultural communication skills
- Respectful, patient, and encouraging approach to facilitation
- Comfort working with interpreters in Dari, or a willingness to learn how to use interpreters if inexperienced.
- Experience working with refugee or immigrant communities is a plus
- Must commit to leading the group weekly for a minimum of 4-6 weeks
Clearances:
Volunteers must pass a background and criminal history check in accordance with IRC policy and applicable laws. As well as obtain their Level One Fingerprint Clearance Card from AZDES.
Commitment:
- One session per week (2–3 hours total including setup/cleanup)
- Minimum commitment: 4-6 weeks
- Sessions will be held one afternoon a week at the IRC office (likely from 4pm-6pm)