Volunteers Aid Refugee Resettlement

NPR recently highlighted the work of a Charlottesville, Virginia nonprofit: International Neighbors. The nonprofit coordinates hundreds of volunteers who help resettled refugees after their 90 days of government assistance runs out. (BTW, in case you missed it – this piece from the Minneapolis Star Tribune does an excellent job discussing those 90 days). International Neighbors pairs volunteers with resettled families, offering help with everything from paperwork to driving lessons to celebrating birthdays.

I work with a similar organization in Grand Forks: Global Friends Coalition. Global Friends connects volunteers with resettled refugees. Though in-home visits, after-school tutoring, and off-site classes, Global Friends volunteers work with New Americans to improve their English fluency. Volunteers also help New Americans acclimate to our climate, diet, customs, expectations, and laws. In addition, Global Friends provide the broader community with opportunities to better understand and interact with its New American residents by hosting community events.

-KitJ