Volunteer to Help Refugees!

Join us and welcome refugees!

Volunteers are at the core of welcoming refugee families and helping them feel at home in Western Massachusetts. From mentoring newly arrived families, to running in-kind donation drives for a specific family due to arrive, to mentoring a young person, to teaching English and work skills in the classroom – volunteers make resettlement possible at every level. To individual refugees and refugee families, volunteers make a life-changing impact. Join us to welcome refugees to Western Massachusetts.

JFS is urgently recruiting for these volunteer roles:

• Become an English Language Coach! English Language Coaches provide consistent, patient support to English Language Learners as they develop linguistic confidence and conversational fluency.  
• Mentor a Refugee Youth! Mentors are matched with youth ages 15-24 to work with them on their individualized goals from getting a driver’s license, to applying to college, to practicing English, to playing sports, to gaining confidence during presentations. Mentors make a huge impact guiding a young person learning to find their way. Click here for more information.
• Teach English, Digital Literacy Skills, or Cultural Orientation! JFS is proud to offer New American clients the chance to develop the skills needed to use a Chromebook as a pathway to education and employment opportunities. We are seeking volunteers to meet in person at our Springfield office with New American learners as they develop digital literacy. Teachers should be comfortable working or tutoring in small groups, with confidence in using Zoom, Google Documents and Mail, and a willingness to learn new programs. Lesson plans will be provided.
• Intern with JFS! Looking to start a career in social services or international relations? Become an intern to get an inside look at this work, and learn how to succeed in the field.

To express interest in volunteering with JFS, please click here to complete our volunteer form. You will be contacted as soon as possible by someone from our team. 

For more information on volunteering with JFS, or if you are an organization looking to partner with JFS to provide ongoing volunteers or organize in-kind donation drives, contact:

Evan Bixby, Assistant Director, Youth and Partnerships
Jewish Family Service of Western Massachusetts
15 Lenox St   Springfield, MA 01108
p. (413) 737-2601 f. (413) 737-0323
e.bixby@jfswm.org