Volunteer Opportunities

HIAS works around works around the world to protect refugees who have been forced to flee their homelands because of who they are. As a HIAS affiliate network partner, the JCA is committed to bringing in up to 125 refugees over the next year, helping them to find housing and work, and connecting them with services in Maine during their first three months living here. 

The HIAS volunteer program offers a wide range of options to support refugee clients: 

• Cultural Orientation: Meet with families weekly to cover a wide range of training topics designed to acclimate clients to their new surroundings.
• Digital Literacy: Educate clients on how to adapt to navigate government websites, social media, online translation services, search engines, email and more.
• English Tutoring & Support: Help clients learn & practice conversational English.
• Financial Literacy: Teach clients important skills such as spending, saving, borrowing, budgeting, earning & taxes.
• Furniture Sourcing: Assist with locating key furniture items to be set up in client homes.
• Grocery Shopping Consultant: Take a new family grocery shopping on a weekly basis.
• HIAS Food Pantry: Help supply and stock the food pantry with culturally appropriate food.
• Household Item Sourcing: Assist with finding household items to stage client homes.
• Housing Task Force: Work wih HIAS staff and landlords to identify housing resources.
• House Raising Team: Prepare permanent housing for client arrival by unpacking household items, light cleaning, and staging furniture.
• Mentorship: Support clients by helping them acclimate to life in Maine.
• Moving Team: Support HIAS staff by picking up and unloading furniture at client home.
• Pre-Arrival Set-Up: Bring supplies & groceries to temporary housing and stage for arrival.
• Public Transportation Education: Teach clients how to navigate public transportation.