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Letter to Our Volunteers

Dear prospective volunteer:

Since the fall of the government in Kabul, Afghanistan on August 15, 2021, the huge influx of legally admitted Afghan humanitarian parolees into the US is unprecedented.

San Antonio is one of the top destination cities for Afghan resettlement. While CRS is not a resettlement agency our newest neighbors are arriving without basic necessities such as hygiene supplies, bedding, and access to food.

CRS is filling the need to supply essential supplies to new arrivals. Since October 2021 CRS continues to assist over 2,000 Afghan adults and children. More individuals will be coming.

Our most urgent needs at the moment include help with obtaining and delivering essential household items and mattresses to individuals who arrived from Afghanistan. If you are interested in donating or leading a small team that will help an entire refugee family, please send a note thru the “Contact Us” link. Please do not drop off any donations at CRS without contacting our office at 210-949-0062 or sending us a message. We regularly post a list of needed items on our Facebook page.

Due to the continued threat of Covid we have suspended many of our group activities for refugees such as Play & Learn, homework help, music classes, wellness groups, and the sewing circle.

A limited number of refugees is now enrolled in Citizenship classes and ESL (English classes) where social distancing and masking can be observed. If you are a vaccinated adult and are available to teach basic English on Monday mornings, 10-1 please send us a message through “Contact us”.

Thank you.

Thank You For Your Interest in Volunteering

The Center for Refugee Services is a registered 501(c)(3) charitable nonprofit agency that uses a team approach to provide cultural guidance and social support to resettled refugees originating from more than 20 countries that have been devastated by war and violence.

CRS serves almost 1,000 refugees annually with five core staff members, of which only two are salaried, and 30 auxiliary monthly volunteers.  We rely heavily on community networking to achieve the best results for our clients. We value cultural diversity, compassion, and respect for all people.

Established in 2010, the Center for Refugee Services has a proud history of helping hundreds of resettled refugees acclimate to their new homes in San Antonio. If you wish to join our team of volunteers, we will help you find the best possible fit for your skills and interests.

Once your application has been reviewed, you will be contacted to schedule an interview. Training for new volunteers is ongoing.

Volunteer Opportunities

 

*Office hours are  Monday , Wednesday and  Friday,  10 a.m. – 2 p.m.

No evening hours except for tutoring and citizenship classes.

Homework help/tutoring takes place Monday evenings, 7 – 8:30 p.m., when school is in session. No tutoring during summer, Spring Break or holidays.

Admin/Office

Database management; data entry (minimal client contact)

Maternity Assistant

Regular schedule or occasional.

Collect and distribute diapers, schedule Women’s Health workshops; pick up cases of diapers from the  Texas Diaper Bank. 

Requires client contact and occasional driving.

Receptionist

Direct client service (regular schedule required).

  • greeting clients
  • general office: faxing/copying/filing
  • client intake
  • explaining correspondence
  • scheduling appointments by phone
  • job applications

Tutoring/Homework Help

Direct client service (regular schedule required)

Teaching Classes

Direct client service (regular schedule required)

  • US Citizenship
  • English
  • computers
  • sewing

Furniture Pickup/Delivery

(Flexible schedule).  Arrange pickup and delivery of donations. Refugee clients will assist you.

You must have a pickup truck or large van.  Help maintain/organize storage unit.

Education Support

  • ESL (English) teacher
  • sewing teacher assistant
  • U.S. citizenship teacher
  • tutoring Monday evening
  • college homework help (by appointment)
  • music teacher on Saturdays 1:00 – 3:00 p.m.

Transportation

Transporting clients to appointments (occasional).

Proof of auto insurance required.

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Interpreter

Translation services.

Organizing Donations

(Occasional)

Organizing smaller donations, such as household and hygiene items, library books, school supplies.

Play & Learn

CRS presents the Play and Learn program every April and invites refugee families to bring their 1- 4 year old children to play and learn with ABC’s, numbers and music with their parents.

The children strengthen their social and emotional development, gain a sense of play, learn to play with other children, accomplish tasks and learn to make independent decisions.

Fund Raising

  • Birdies for Charity (Valero Texas Open)
  • The Big Give SA
  • Fall fundraising GALA
  • social media

Special Events

(Occasional)

  • open house
  • holiday celebrations
  • high school graduation
  • college scholarship recognition (annually in May)
  • coats and blankets distribution

Social Media Monitor

(2-3X weekly)

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram etc.

Computer Management

(Occasional)

  • computer maintenance
  • software installation
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