Maryland Reception and Placement Intern
ORGANIZATION:
Ethiopian Community Development Council
This opportunity is provided by VolunteerMatch's partner.
Please visit the new page to apply.
Position Title: Reception & Placement Intern
Department/Division: ECDC/ACC
Reports to: R&P Case Manager
Status: Unpaid, Volunteer
Location: Silver Spring, Maryland
Job Summary: Assist in all aspects of preparing for refugee arrivals and performing follow-up tasks after arrival.
Key Responsibilities:
- Assist Reception and Placement (R&P) coordinator manage documentation and paperwork for R&P activities
- Maintain stock of R&P household items
- Keep a current inventory of all purchased and donated R&P items
- Purchase additional items as necessary
- Package R&P items for incoming refugee families in advance of arrival
- Assist Case Managers and Community Members with apartment set-up for new arrivals
- Track quantity and value of R&P items distributed to refugees
- Balance incoming and outgoing inventory
- Assist coordinator in finding new apartments
- Assist in obtaining household items necessary for new arrivals.
- Help set up apartments for newly-arriving refugees
- Work with interpreters, refugees and coordinators to ensure that leases are signed and understood in a timely manner
- Work with other staff in donation pick-ups and loading
- Perform other tasks as assigned
Education, Experience, Skills :
- Commitment to ECDC’s mission: to help refugees rebuild safe, sustainable lives in Maryland through supportive networks of people, services and community activities
- Excellent communication, interpersonal and organizational skills
- Ability to work independently as well as on a team
- Ability to effectively communicate with supervisor
- Interest in working in a multicultural environment, refugee language capability a plus
- Knowledgeable about and sensitive to the experiences of refugees and immigrants
- Computer skills (Microsoft Office Suite). Proficiency in Word, Excel, Outlook, and Internet use Familiarity with Access a plus
Learning Outcomes:
- Understanding of the timelines and processes refugees go through from arrival-5 years.
- Increased intercultural communication competency
- Exposure to basic non-profit operations and environment
- Knowledge of marginalized populations - challenges and opportunities
- Experience working with limited English proficiency populations
Time Requirement::
- 10-20 hrs/week, may require some hours outside of standard business hours/3-month minimum
Physical Demands
- May include heavy physical activity, which includes standing, sitting, lifting heavy items and/or walking
- Ability to see and hear within normal parameters
- Ability to maintain emotional control under stress
***MUST have access to a car and driving ability***
Contact with Others
This is a 3 month (at minimum) in-person position. It involves regular contact with local apartment managers, local, state, and federal government agency employees, private sector organizations, refugee community members, and ECDC staff. Wearing a mask in the office is mandatory.
** If interested please email your resume and cover letter to kstockton-juarez@ecdcus.org
About Ethiopian Community Development Council
Location:
8121 Georgia Avenue, Suite 800, Silver Spring, MD 20910, US
Mission Statement
ECDC's mission is to resettle refugees, promote cultural, educational, and socioeconomic development in the refugee and immigrant community in the United States, and conduct humanitarian and development programs in the Horn of Africa. To pursue this mission, ECDC: provides programs and services that assist newcomers to the country become productive members of their new American communities fosters greater understanding among newcomers and the wider community conducts outreach and education activities to increase public awareness about refugee and immigrant issues promotes African community-based organizations increase their capacity to serve their local communities promotes civic participation by newcomers in the decision-making process at the local, state, and national levels provides cross-cultural training to service providers' on the diverse cultural backgrounds of the clients they work with assists in educational development and cultural preservation projects in Ethiopia
Description
ECDC is non-profit organization that works toward the resettlement of refugees within the United States. We conduct case work, as well as educational and social outreach programs for newly arrived refugee families. These programs are aimed to help the families recover from past traumatic experiences, get adjusted to American life, and become economically self-sufficient contributing members of their new communities. The refugees we work with refugees come from all across the globe.
Some of the services that we provide refugee families include:
- Housing and rent for 3 months (families will hopefully be self-sufficient by this time)
- Basic home furnishings
- Enrollment in ESL classes
- Setting up medical and social security appointments
- School enrollment for the children
- Helping refugee families connect with their new communities on a social and logistical level