Volunteer at IRIS

Volunteer
University and high school students, as well as anyone seeking community service hours, can often earn internship or community service credit for volunteering at IRIS.

Photograph by Daniel Carvalho

 

Volunteer Opportunities

Health Care Assistance: Help refugees navigate the U.S. healthcare system.  Work closely with IRIS staff to accompany refugees to medical appointments, explain refugees' needs to doctors, fill prescriptions, and develop healthy behaviors.  All levels of experience welcome. Discretion necessary.

Donations and Apartment Set-up: Assist our Housing and Donations Coordinator with creating a welcoming home for newly arrived refugees.  This includes helping to collect donations, moving furniture & donations into refugee homes, and setting up & cleaning homes before a refugee’s arrival.  Times vary according to refugee arrivals and donation availability.

Case Management Support and Resettlement Assistance: Assist with appointments, transportation, household orientation, opening a bank account, obtaining a driver’s license, and explaining U.S. laws.  This is a great way to develop rewarding relationships and facilitate refugees’ self-sufficiency.

Interpreters and Translators: Speakers of numerous languages (including but not limited to Arabic, French, Swahili, Nepali, Spanish, Farsi, Dari, Pashto, and Russian) are needed to ensure refugees’ full understanding and participation in language classes and acculturation.  Document translation may be done remotely and emailed to staff.

Childcare: Look after infants alongside IRIS’s early childhood educator as she works with toddlers, any week day from 9:30 AM to 12:00 PM. By assisting here, you will enable parents to attend IRIS’s morning English class.

Food Bank Support: Come with us to collect 1,000 lbs of food from the Connecticut Food Bank to bring to the IRIS pantry (Tuesday from 12:20 PM-2:15 PM) and/or distribute food to clients from our pantry (Wednesday 9 AM-12:00 PM).

Employment Services Support: Help clients search for job openings, fill out applications, and write resumes & cover letters. Volunteers are also able to help our Employment Services Coordinator with various administrative tasks.

General Administrative Support: Assist staff in grant writing, document filing, mailings, information and communication systems, and answering our telephones.  This is an excellent opportunity to develop office skills and to learn about nonprofits.

Immigration Clinic Internships: Provide assistance to clients applying for immigration services and benefits, including Adjustment of Status, Petition for Affidavit of Relationship, and Naturalization. Internships in the legal clinic are 10-20 hours per week for a minimum of 3-5 months.

Cultural Orientation: Teach skills essential to life in the U.S. and explain U.S. culture, customs, and laws.  Help refugees understand the public transportation system: routes, ticketing, schedules and transfers. Provide orientation in local shopping, price comparisons, and budgeting. Take refugees to museums, parks, concerts, or sporting events.

Computer Training: Using the New Haven Public Library computer room or computers at the IRIS office to teach basic typing, word processing, internet use, and job specific skills.

English Language Tutoring for Adults: Weekday mornings at the IRIS offices. Support refugees’ efforts to learn English: 9:30 AM– 12:00 PM.  Hour long tutoring sessions can also be scheduled at other times at the IRIS office or the New Haven Public Library.

English Language/Homework Assistance:

  • For children 1st-6th grade: Help refugees and immigrants with homework, English literacy, and mathematics. Tutoring will be done individually and in groups, Monday and Wednesday, 2:00 PM-4:00 PM, at IRIS.
  • For 9th 12th Grade: Assist students with homework, school projects, and computer skills.  This is scheduled as needed.

If you wish to volunteer, please complete the online Volunteer Application (free Adobe Reader required.)

After completing the form please select the PRINT FORM button to print a hardcopy. (Please note that the form cannot be saved electronically unless you are using a full verion of Adobe Acrobat.) Please sign the application and return to IRIS by mail, fax, e-mail, or in person.

Or if you prefer you may complete the Microsoft Word version (Word 97 or later required) and return to IRIS by mail, fax, e-mail or in person.

fax: 203-562-1798
mail: 235 Nicoll Street, New Haven, CT 06511
attention: Volunteer Coordinator
 e-mail: volunteer@irisct.org

You may also request an application by calling our office at 203-562-2095.

 

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