East Central Illinois Refugee Mutual Assistance Center:Volunteer

Volunteer Information

From East Central Illinois Refugee Mutual Assistance Center

As a volunteer at ECIRMAC, you will have a unique opportunity to provide help to groups that need it most: refugees and immigrants. Recent refugees and immigrants to the community are among the most underserved populations and often have few resources for assistance. The vast majority of volunteers find their time at the Center fulfilling and personally rewarding.

Potential Tasks as a Volunteer at the Refugee Center:

• Answer phones or listen to voicemail and take messages.

It is VERY important that you get ALL of the necessary information, and that it is all CORRECT.
Please see the detailed instructions for taking messages.

• File or fill out “Encounter Forms” each time a client comes in to the center.

• Teach/tutor a client with English.

• Translate documents.

• Contact an organization or individual on behalf of a client and interpret information for them.

• Accompany clients to an organization to interpret for them.

• Help clients fill out forms or documents in English.

• Enter data into the computer.

• Keep children occupied if they come with parents.

• Fold and/or staple papers and stuff envelopes.

• Teach citizenship classes.

• Tutor one-on-one or monitor playtime for the Saturday Morning Tutoring Program.

Other Relevant Information for Volunteers:

• Casual but clean dress is expected. Jeans are fine, but pajama or sweatpants are not appropriate, and clothing with offensive material is not acceptable.

• Every day, and even every hour, at the Center is different. Some days there may be a lot to do, and others times there could be almost nothing. Please remember that you are there in case you are needed. It is a big help to the counselors and staff just for you to be there to answer the phone or welcome clients. When a volunteer is available for these tasks, the counselor doesn't need to be interrupted from what s/he is doing.

• At first, it is normal to have worries about what to do, feeling like your Spanish abilities are not good enough, feeling like you won't be of much help, etc. You are there to learn, and if you put in the effort, you will pick up on what you need to know quickly. You will probably be able to help more than you think! Inevitably there will be problems you cannot solve on your own, and you will make mistakes; this is part of the experience. Just do the best you can.

• Please see what some of the past volunteers had to say for tips, advice, and words of wisdom.

• Click here to view a list of helpful vocabulary in both Spanish and English.

• To read a more detailed description of what the Center provides to clients, what is expected of you as a volunteer, and more, click here. (Description is in Spanish)

Frequently Asked Questions