UNA-NYC and CWS Offer Volunteer Opportunities to Help Refugees
Following our program on October 21 about Church World Service (CWS) and their outreach efforts to help refugees coming to the New York City area, we have received many requests asking about volunteer opportunities to get involved. In partnering with CWS, we would like to report that they are looking for volunteers to help welcome refugees.
Through partnerships with local communities, CWS ensures a warm welcome for all arriving refugees and provides services they need to thrive and become valued members of their new communities. Welcoming refugees and helping them get a strong start in the United States is good for all of us. Refugees overwhelmingly give back to the communities that welcome them, opening businesses, volunteering and becoming actively engaged citizens.
At this time, CWS is looking for volunteers to help in their Cultural Orientation classes for Afghan arrivals to the New York City area. They are seeking volunteers to help teach a reoccurring class remotely via Microsoft Teams (which is similar to Zoom), and have several classes a week, for which they are putting together a schedule of teachers. Volunteers who are free at least once a week (or more) are preferred. CWS will provide a packet of material to be covered in the first class, as well as a translator. If necessary, the CWS case manager will participate to smooth out initial volunteer participation.
The class is fairly informal, but provides a chance for new arrivals to become acquainted with U.S. culture and expectations on a variety of topics, and gives a chance for them to meet and hear from local NYC community members.
CWS is also looking for translators for classes. Those who are fluent in Pashto or Dari and who would be interested in translating or leading a class may contact the CWS. (Fluency in other languages may be helpful on other future occasions, so those speaking another language can also apply).
Anyone seriously interested in volunteering should contact the CWS case manager Margy Kelly at mkelly@cwsglobal.org, for further details. And please note: all applicants should be aware that volunteers will need to pass a background check (for a nominal fee).
At UNA-NYC, we naturally see this kind of hands-on involvement also as a contribution in helping achieve some of the SDGs — in this case SDG 16, which seeks to “promote peaceful and inclusive societies, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels.”
Many thanks for your consideration and your efforts.
Ann Nicol
Executive Director, UNA-NYC