Refugee Women's Alliance

Serving refugee and immigrant women and families

The Volunteer Program at the Refugee Women’s Alliance

The Volunteer Program

Volunteers represent the spirit of individual philanthropy by the generous giving of their time and skills.

At Refugee Women’s Alliance (ReWA), volunteers contribute significantly towards the achievement of the agency's mission and goals. The majority of ReWA's volunteers participate as teachers in the Evening Tutoring Program, which is a combination of English as a Second Language (ESL) and citizenship classes for adults. ReWA volunteers also participate in the following programs:

  • Youth Program, assisting with activities in the after-school tutoring program for children and youth.
  • Early Childhood Education Program, providing care and learning experiences to 1 to 6 year olds during morning, afternoon, and evening classes.

ReWA has more than 100 volunteers each year who provide two to four hours of volunteer service per week in support of ReWA's programs.

Volunteers at ReWA acquire skills in teaching ESL, citizenship, tutoring school-aged children and interacting with preschoolers. They also gain knowledge about the issues facing newcomer families, and help refugee and immigrant adults gain familiarity with United States culture and resources. Volunteers are invited to attend all special events at ReWA (including our famous potlucks) as well as staff and Board events. Most importantly, they participate in an exciting, community-based effort to make a difference in the lives of refugee and immigrant women and families.

Qualifications:
The most important qualification is a desire to work with and help people from diverse cultures and backgrounds. In all our volunteer positions, past experience is helpful, but not necessary.
Minimum time commitment:
Due to the training and orientation required, we ask that volunteers make a commitment of at least six months. Unless they make other arrangements, volunteers are scheduled for a 2- to 3-hour period, one day per week. In addition to this, there may be prep time and, as an ESL or citizenship teacher, contact/planning time with a teacher partner. We estimate volunteer teachers need 3 to 4 hours per week to fulfill these responsibilities.
Training:
ESL and citizenship volunteers receive a 12-hour training in cross-cultural information and ESL teaching methods. The cost to the volunteer is $10. The training is offered monthly by the Tacoma Community House and is usually held at Seattle Central Community College on two consecutive Saturdays.
Orientation:
All volunteers (morning, afternoon and evening) are required to attend a volunteer orientation before the start of each quarter. Volunteer teachers will meet their teaching partner, learn how to develop student-centered lessons, look through appropriate materials and resources for their students, and have a chance to look at their students’ learning files.
Benefits:
As a volunteer at ReWA you will acquire skills in teaching ESL/citizenship or tutoring school-aged children, gain knowledge about the issues facing newcomer families, learn about the social services available to refugees and immigrants, and work to help refugee and immigrant adults gain familiarity with United States culture and resources. Volunteers are invited to attend all special events at ReWA (including our famous potlucks) as well as staff and board events. Most importantly, you can participate in an exciting, community-based effort to make a difference in the lives of refugee and immigrant women and their families.

On-going Volunteer Opportunities

ReWA has the following volunteer opportunities available:

Individuals who are bilingual in the following language groups are especially encouraged to apply: Vietnamese, Khmer, Lao, Hmong, Mien, Cantonese, Mandarin, Amharic, Tigrigna, Oromo and Somali.

If you are interested in volunteering at ReWA in any program other than the youth program, please contact: Lori Penor at (206) 721- 8441 or by email.