Since the onset of the pandemic, shelter guests have been staying in hotel rooms (non-congregate setting), where our guests receive all the same services (food, transportation, health services, case management, legal) that they did in the congregate shelter. With Title 42 lifting, JFS is preparing for the increase of asylum-seeking individuals and families to the Southern California Region.The need for volunteer support is great at this time.
Volunteers are the heart of our work—and we need your help. Please see below for current opportunities.
Help shelter guests navigate the ins and outs of transportation by serving as a guide! Volunteer shifts are available 7 days a week with peak times ranging from 4:00-8:00am and 4:00-8:00pm daily.
If you have daytime availability and are comfortable being on your feet, this is a great role for you! Our Shelter Operations volunteers help on-site with packing and delivering snacks for our guests from 12:00-3:00pm daily.
As an advocate, you will accompany guests to the hospital or a medical appointment to ensure they are being treated with respect and dignity and report back about follow-up appointments with Shelter staff. Medical advocates sign up for on-call shifts and will be notified if a need arises. Driver clearance required for this role.
Please join our team as a Children’s Play Pal volunteer! We have two shifts available per day for volunteers to foster healthy interactions and play with children at our Travel Center. (Note: additional training is required for this opportunity – please reach out for more information.)
In partnership with HIAS, JFS matches a specific refugee family with organized groups of approximately 20 committed volunteers to support their reception and placement services for up to one year, including housing, transportation, health, culturally adjustment, schooling, jobs and finance.
Conduct weekly in-home visits with a refugee family, perform community orientation activities and act as a friendly support; introduce refugees to local institutions such as supermarkets, parks, recreational facilities, transportation systems, libraries, government offices, schools, and more; provide supplemental English language instruction; coordinate educational activities or recreational outings; and occasionally take families to appointments.
Empower refugee families with knowledge, community and support to gain self-sufficiency. Connect families to resources to gain experience in navigating US systems.
Translate documents from a second language to English or vice versa; attend meetings between clients and department staff while acting as an interpreter; and if possible, transport clients to outside appointments and act as a linguistic liaison/interpreter.
Mentor a newly arrived refugee family by providing companionship and general acculturation support as they adapt to life in the U.S.. Bridge the gap between newcomers and host communities by connecting families to community resources and opportunities while providing much-needed “in-the-field” and supplemental assistance to case managers; together, we work to promote and establish their self-sufficiency.
Help us serve every immigrant efficiently and professionally, by aiding in office and administrative duties, this volunteer will increase the efficiency of casework completion and assist in efforts to document service provision, contributing to the team as we continue to support immigrant families in a valuable way.
