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Friend of the Family Mentor
Details: As a Friend of the Family volunteer, you will have the unique opportunity to develop a relationship with a newly arrived refugee family and to help them acclimate to American society. By providing companionship on a consistent, weekly basis at their home or on small outings in the Seattle vicinity, you will help a refugee family become more confident with their environment. You will also be helping the family grow more independent by helping them practice and improve their English, and by showing them how to access local resources (grocery shopping, riding the bus, Goodwill, Laundromat, etc.) with confidence.
Minimum Requirements: Must be at least 18 years old; Pass a WA State background check; no major traffic violations and valid car insurance (only needed if the mentor plans to drive a family member somewhere);
Training: Once accepted into the program mentors will receive a handbook that has an overview of the services that the IRC provides, as well as what is expected of them. The mentor will meet with the Volunteer Coordinator or the Caseworker, usually at the family’s home in SeaTac for an introduction to the assigned family. Throughout their time volunteering, mentors receive bi-weekly check-ins from the Volunteer Coordinator, monthly updates from the VC and quarterly meetings at which additional training will often be offered.
Time Commitment: Mentoring requires a minimum commitment of 2-3 hours a week for 6 months. Mentors usually volunteer evenings and weekends, as their schedule allows. The enrollment process usually takes 2-3 weeks for a match, but sometimes a match takes more time, depending on available families.
Cost: There is no cost to the BEAN member for enrollment. The only costs a BEAN member will incur would come from participating in events with the family, but even this cost should be covered by the family.
Location: Almost all mentoring will take place in SeaTac. Orientations and interviews take place Monday-Friday, 9-5 in Pioneer Square .
Skills: Volunteers should be mature, dependable, patient, non-judgmental, curious, and eager to learn about a new culture as well as to share their own. Ability to speak Tigrinya, Amharic, Somali, Karen, Burmese or Thai is a plus but not required.
Support: Support is supplied in various ways. A member can discuss problems, ideas with either Nelly Gozdek at IRC; with Chris Stevens at BEAN; or with other mentors through a shared Google web group online.
For more information on IRC, go to http://www.theirc.org/seattle
If you are interested in being a mentor and making a difference in people’s lives, please contact  |
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