HIAS in Greater Washington DC

Thank you for your interest in volunteering with HIAS in Greater Washington DC. 

To get started, click the black “fill in an application” button on this page and follow the instructions to create a basic volunteer profile. You can find more information about available volunteer roles below.

Volunteer opportunities for individuals in the DC area include:

Long term volunteer roles

• Mentors work one-on-one with HIAS clients, acting as a cultural liaison and providing varied types of support as asylum seekers learn how to navigate healthcare, education, and public transportation systems.
• English as a New Language Tutors help clients with beginner-level English develop language skills in speaking, reading, and writing.
• English Language Partners help clients build conversational English skills that allow them to communicate more fluently with their neighbors, employers, and service providers.

Short term volunteer roles

• Special Project Volunteers work one-on-one with HIAS Legal Services and Asylee Outreach Project (AOP) clients on goal-oriented, shorter-term projects. Each project is unique – volunteers may help a client apply for a replacement social security card, review a resume, submit job applications, or navigate a specific affordable housing challenge. Projects vary in length from a few days to several weeks.

Other volunteer roles

• Volunteer Interpreters and Translators are regularly needed to assist with remote interpretation and translation needs that support our asylum-seeking clients’ legal case and social integration.
• Social Service Volunteers work with our social service department to create, update, and expand our resource guides for clients. Guides help clients easily access resources in the DMV, including housing, financial, medical, and job placement assistance across multiple counties.
• Volunteer Letter Writers write monthly correspondence to asylum seekers in immigration detention offering them compassion and solidarity.

We are not currently accepting new volunteers for the above direct service opportunities in the DC area. To stay tuned for our next onboarding opportunity, please complete a basic volunteer profile at the link above and sign up for our Silver Spring volunteer newsletter.

For group volunteering inquiries, questions, or accommodations, please contact our volunteer coordinator at caroline.wolinsky@hias.org.

Thanks again for your interest. We look forward to connecting with you!