Volunteer


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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


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Burlington, NC


In addition to our work in Durham, our team is now providing resettlement and employment services in Burlington, NC. The limited availability of affordable housing in the Triangle continues to present significant challenges for our new neighbors arriving in Durham. As a result, our team has developed new housing, community, employment, and government partnerships in Alamance County to support our new neighbors as they begin their new lives with us in North Carolina.

Friendship After Kabul


A little over a year ago in August 2021, I deployed to Afghanistan with the 82nd Airborne as part of Operation Allies Refuge. Our goal was to evacuate American citizens as well as Afghan allies fleeing the Taliban and seeking safety in the U.S. My experiences during the evacuation stuck with me. Even after returning to North Carolina, the memories continued to occupy my mind. I wanted to find a way to help here at home.

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Individual Volunteer Opportunities


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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!


Apply to Volunteer
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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!


Apply to Volunteer

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Coffee Conversations


Coffee Conversationalists offer career guidance to former refugees enrolled in our new CARE Program established to support refugees in 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 Us

Contact Sarah Hester (shester@cwsglobal.org), CARE Program Coordinator, to volunteer.


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Cultural Orientation Support


Individuals can support the mission of welcoming refugees in so many ways: practicing English with newcomers, teaching computer literacy, helping to fill out job applications, working with our immigration legal office, or supporting our ESL classes!

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Group Volunteer Opportunities


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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!


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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!


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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, Nikita, our Volunteer Coordinator is ready to help.


Apply to Volunteer

Resources


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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.


Submit
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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.


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