Volunteer
Updates
THANK YOU for your interest in volunteering to welcome new neighbors!
Recent executive actions that have halted refugee admissions and frozen federal funding to support refugees in our community have forced CWS Durham to furlough 2/3 of our staff. (See situation analysis here.)
While volunteer support is more critical than ever, please be patient with us as our remaining staff recalibrate to ensure that families remain housed, fed, and safe. We may be slow to respond to volunteer inquiries.
Contact the Volunteer Team
Support for the Journey
Hundreds of refugees are resettled each year in the Triangle of North Carolina after fleeing persecution in their own home countries. Refugees often arrive with little to no English, limited familiarity with U.S. culture, and no financial resources. Their resettlement journey is long and full of challenges.
You can make that journey easier.
Volunteer to support newcomers as they rebuild their lives, and help us continue the over 40-year tradition of welcoming refugees to North Carolina
Friendship After Kabul
Volunteer Requirements
If you would like to volunteer directly with clients, we ask that volunteers are:
- Attend a volunteer orientation
- Complete a background check (prior to orientation)
- 18 years or older
Some volunteer opportunities may vary from these requirements. Please note that once a volunteer application is completed and you have registered for an orientation date, you must complete your background check prior to attending the orientation to ensure a swift onboarding process. If you have any questions, please contact Lisa or Nikita.
Resources
Case Notes
Case Notes are an important documentation of the services our staff and volunteers provide to our new neighbors. Case notes increase coordination and communication across the team while also offering clients a transparent and accessible record of the services and team support received since their arrival.
CORE Resource Exchange
The Cultural Orientation Resource Exchange (CORE), a technical assistance program, connects and supports refugee resettlement staff globally to deliver effective Cultural Orientation which helps refugees and Special Immigrant Visa holders achieve self-sufficiency in the United States.
