Volunteer
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
Burlington, NC
Friendship After Kabul
Individual Volunteer Opportunities
Practice English With Refugees
In-person or Virtual — 1-2 hrs/week
Provide refugees with the English Language skills they need to be successful. 1 on 1 English support is greatly needed to help refugees feel more comfortable in their new environment and increases their ability to find employment. Working 1 on 1 with a refugee can help give them the confidence to practice speaking English and help you meet one of your new neighbors!
Lunchtime Language Exchange
In-person — 1-2 hrs/MontH
This is a new opportunity designed to bring together volunteers who want to support our new neighbors in their English language learning over an informal, fun lunch. It is a great way to help our refugee and immigrant neighbors improve their language skills and connect with other refugees and community members.
Home Supply Volunteer
Burlington, NC
Help us gather and set up home supplies for newly arriving refugee families in Burlington. We have many families arriving and need your help to get their homes ready!
Coffee Conversations
Coffee Conversationalists offer career guidance to former refugees enrolled in our new (CARE) program established to support refugees toward their educational and employment goals.
Volunteers are matched with clients with an interest in the volunteer's area of expertise and meet with the client for a one-time conversation to share more about their field of work.
Contact Rye Campbell (mcampbell@cwsglobal.org), CARE Program Coordinator, to volunteer.
Group Volunteer Opportunities
Welcome Teams
Welcome Teams set up and furnish apartments so that newly-arrived refugees have a prepared home for them when they arrive in Durham. Check out the Home Supply List to see what items are included in a home setup!
Community Sponsorship
Welcome newly arrived refugees to Durham through community sponsorship. As a community sponsor, your group of 7-10 becomes a partner with CWS Durham to greet a refugee family at the airport, assist them in securing and furnishing initial housing, connect them with local services, and show them all of the things that make our community so special!
Volunteer Requirements
If you would like to volunteer directly with clients, we ask that volunteers are:
- Able to commit to at least 6 months of direct service
- Able to commit to approximately 1-3 hours a week of direct service
- 18 years old or older
- attend a volunteer orientation/training
- complete a background check
Some volunteer opportunities may vary from these requirements.
If you have questions about the available opportunities or these basic requirements, Sina, our Community Engagement Manager is ready to help.
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.
