At Welcome Home, our volunteers are at the core of all we do. Neighbors help neighbors navigate the challenges of coming to a new country with few resources, little ability to communicate and often overwhelming needs. Welcome Home’s dedicated volunteers make our mission a reality by providing vital services and materials to our friends across a range of areas, from back-to-school drives to school registration and employment counseling.
Take a look at some ways our volunteers are changing lives and consider joining us in our efforts:
Our longest running and best known program, Fun Club provides a safe place for youth to enjoy games, socialize, and get help with their homework over pizza and refreshments while adults can participate in language support, informational presentations and other practical assistance offerings. Come get in on the fun and join us, and maybe even lead a program of your own if you are creative and motivated.
Our friends need educational support at all levels from K-12 to higher ed and adult education. Volunteers work one-on-one with our friends, usually once a week, to help with academic assignments, test preparation and homework. Specific tasks may include practicing language skills, helping with emails to instructors, or assisting with homework assignments. Volunteers create important personal bonds that can help boost student confidence to meet the challenges of their school programs.
Our volunteers provide translation assistance in order to help our friends navigate daily life. Opportunities are many and varied, from sitting in on parent-teacher conferences to translating our weekly communications. Languages needed include Arabic, Spanish, Pashto, Dari, French and Tigrinya.
Our employment counseling volunteers provide an essential and greatly appreciated service to our friends by helping to source job openings, create resumes, practice mock interviews, understand employer expectations or even drive them to/from job interviews.
Several of our families have chosen to remain in Jersey City specifically because of the academic opportunities. Academic Counseling volunteers help students and families apply and/or register for school programs from pre-K through higher ed. Supporting our friends’ journey to identify, apply, and enroll in programs best suited to meet their educational goals is a service that accelerates their independence and empowers them to reach their full potential.
Our 3D team brings much needed resources directly to our friends. Welcome Home Jersey City is grateful for in-kind donations from our generous, caring community as well as the volunteers who help us to deliver these resources in a timely and effective manner. We organize annual drives and distributions for backpacks/school supplies; winter coats & gear; nonperishable food items; and spring/summer clothing for kids. We also source and supply household items, small appliances, TVs, bicycles, area rugs and other things our families request on an as-needed basis. Volunteers with cars and the ability to lift/move heavier items are especially needed, but there are plenty of ways to help the 3D team.
Our grant-writing team is responsible for researching, writing, and submitting applications to secure funding from external sources such as government agencies, foundations, faith-based organizations and corporations. We apply for grants that provide general support, as well as seek funding that specifically addresses food insecurity, workforce development, and challenges faced by women. Grant writing may be in the background of refugee support, but the team is deeply connected with every operation and program we offer. From applying for grants for job training and ESL classes to obtaining gift certificates from supermarkets and retail stores, the team is committed to procuring funding and fulfilling our mission.
