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14 people are interested
Walk-In Clinic Volunteer
ORGANIZATION: EMBARC: Ethnic Minorities of Burma Advocacy and Resource Center
Please visit the new page to apply.
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14 people are interested
Vineyard Walk-In Clinic
Position Title: Walk-In Clinic Volunteer
Position Summary: Volunteers assist refugee clients with filling out paperwork, reading mail, making phone calls, and handling other day-to-day tasks. Since many of our refugee clients are not proficient in English, volunteers alongside interpreters who can help bridge gaps in communication between volunteers, clients, and outside institutions.
Position Responsibilities:
- Fill out forms such as Medicaid, Green Card, Food Assistance, etc
- Make phone calls to various organizations on behalf of clients
- Review mail and assess what further action needs to be taken
- Document client interactions and maintain confidentiality
Qualifications:
- Professional, respectful, and positive attitude
- Ability to focus in a busy environment
- Ability to work with an interpreter
- Previous experience with refugees preferred but not required
Eligibility:
- Must be 18 or older
- Must be able to pass a background check
Support Provided:
- Cultural presentation detailing the history and attributes of refugees from Burma to gain a larger understanding of the community being served.
- Resource binders are available on site that have information on issues that may arise.
- Shadowing a veteran volunteer for as long as needed.
- A member of the EMBARC Team will always be around to provide support and answer any questions.
- Regular check-ins from the Volunteer Coordinator
Start Date: Continuous
Location: Vineyard Church, 2332 Euclid Ave, Des Moines, IA 50310
Schedule: Mondays from 1-4 and Fridays from 10-1
To apply: Fill out our application located at embarciowa.org/application or contact our Volunteer Coordinator at volunteer@embarciowa.org
More opportunities with EMBARC: Ethnic Minorities of Burma Advocacy and Resource Center
No additional volunteer opportunities at this time.
About EMBARC: Ethnic Minorities of Burma Advocacy and Resource Center
Location:
4801 Franklin Ave., Suite 1159, Des Moines, IA 50310, US
Mission Statement
The Ethnic Minorities of Burma Advocacy and Resource Center (EMBARC) was originally founded in 2012 to help new refugees from Burma successfully settle in Iowa. In 2016, our reach expanded to empower other newly arriving refugee groups through our RISE AmeriCorps program. As Iowa’s first and only refugee-led service provider, our approach is different. EMBARC better understands not only the challenges, but also the dreams and potential of refugee families. We believe that in order to help a community, the individuals within must feel empowered to help themselves. By serving as the collective voice of different ethnic groups, EMBARC strives to address shared issues and uplift all refugee communities. Our ultimate goal is to create opportunities for all refugees in Iowa by removing barriers and fostering equity and inclusion. EMBARC is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization located in Des Moines, Iowa, with a satellite office in Waterloo, and programs statewide.
Description
In 2008 and 2009, Karenni, Karen, Chin, Shan, Mon and Rakhine refugees from Burma started resettling to Iowa after fleeing Burma’s 70-year civil war, the longest running civil-war in the world. Since then, over 1 million people have been forced to flee Burma - and nearly 10,000 refugees from Burma have made Iowa home.
Upon arrival in the United States, refugee families receive about 90 days of assistance from a caseworker to help them learn about their new home. That’s not much time when there’s so much to learn. As refugees continued to arrive from Burma, leaders from the refugee community did all they could to help - but they soon realized that many families were still struggling with day-to-day tasks such as understanding mail, writing checks, getting children to school and learning English.
That’s when seven community advocates from three different ethnic organizations (the Karen Association of Iowa, The Chin Baptist Church and the Karenni association) and Henny Ohr, a Korean-American advocate and longtime friend and volunteer, gathered to discuss their vision of a united refugee organization that understands the strengths and challenges of the community and leads in creating solutions. Together they formed EMBARC in 2012 to provide support from refugees and for refugees through advocacy, education and community development. In January 2013, EMBARC obtained 501(c)(3) status.
CAUSE AREAS
WHEN
WHERE
2309 Euclid AvenueDes Moines, IA 50310
DATE POSTED
March 2, 2020
SKILLS
- People Skills
- Problem Solving
- English as a Secondary Language (ESL)
- Relationship Building
- Customer Service
- Burmese
GOOD FOR
N/A
REQUIREMENTS
- Background Check
- Must be at least 15
- Orientation or Training
- 2 hours on rotating Mondays or Fridays