- A group opportunity. Invite your friends.
-
1 person is interested
FISH (Family) Mentor
ORGANIZATION: EMBARC: Ethnic Minorities of Burma Advocacy and Resource Center
Please visit the new page to apply.
- A group opportunity. Invite your friends.
-
1 person is interested
FISH
Position Title: Family Mentor
Position Summary: The family mentoring program (called "FISH") is designed for American families to be paired with families from Burma. This program is very unique and special and was even started by families before EMBARC was officially a nonprofit agency! FISH families meet as often as needed. This partnership may participate in English practice in the home and other long-term goals involving the whole family system.
Position Responsibilities:
- Work with a family from the refugee community to help them achieve their goals and adjust to life in America
Qualifications:
- Professional, respectful, and positive attitude.
- Ability to work either individually or in a partnership
- Ability to make a yearlong commitment
Eligibility:
- Must be 18 or older.
- Must be able to pass a background check.
- Must understand and sign a confidentiality contract.
Support Provided:
- An orientation featuring a presentation detailing the history and lives of refugees, along with an introduction to the FISH advisory board, FISH success stories, and a Q&A.
- A FISH Advisor and an interpreter will be at the first introductory meeting between you and the family
- A FISH Advisor will be assigned to you to answer any questions or concerns you may have
Start Date: To be determined
Location: Des Moines
Schedule: Flexible schedule for one year
Reports to: Tina Shaw and Kaitlyn Humpal
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
May 4, 2017
SKILLS
- Organization
- People Skills
- Problem Solving
- Relationship Building
- Verbal / Written Communication
- Critical Thinking
GOOD FOR
- Kids
- Teens
- People 55+
- Group
REQUIREMENTS
- Background Check
- Must be at least 18
- Orientation or Training
- roughly 1 hour a week for one year
- interpersonal skills, understanding of other cultures