How can you help? To make a difference in the life of a refugee, you can make a donation, volunteer, or apply for an internship.
The IRC works hard to welcome refugees to their new home and help them on their path to self-sufficiency, but we could not do it with out the generous support of our volunteers and donors.
To Make a Gift
The IRC is consistently listed as one of the leading charities by Smart Money, Forbes, Consumer Digest, and Money. Monetary contributions are an important part of the resettlement process, as ninety cents of every dollar donated goes directly to refugee programs. Your gift enables the IRC to provide the programs, goods, and services needed to help a refugee become self-sufficient. You can make a credit card gift online by clicking "Donate Now" on the right hand side, or you can make a donation by mail.
Please contact Kate Evans with questions or to make a gift.
(301) 562-8633 ext. 207
Katherine.Evans@theIRC.org
In-Kind Donations
We collect new or gently used household items that are used to furnish apartments for refugee families. Click here for our list of household needs.
The IRC also accepts gently used furniture, especially kitchen tables, chairs, sets of drawers, and sofas. While we can no longer accept most clothing, we do accept coats and jackets.
All gifts and donations are tax-deductible.
Volunteers
Volunteers are an integral part of the resettlement process. We welcome bright, committed volunteers willing to take time to make a refugee's transition as smooth as possible. We have opportunities that work with various schedules and time constraints.
Our core volunteer programs are the “Adopt a Family” mentoring program or the Health Promotion Program.
There are five main core requirements:
1) you have a high comfort level in multicultural situations
2) you agree to keep track of your volunteer hours
3) you agree to be in close contact with IRC throughout your volunteer experience
4) you agree to a background check and pay the $8.00 background check fee
5) you commit to at least four months of volunteering
Our office is in Silver Spring, but our families are scattered around Northern Virginia, DC and Maryland.
Click here to download our volunteer application. Please send your application and any questions to
Kate Evans
(301) 562-8633 ext. 207 (FAX - 301-562-8585)
Katherine.Evans@theIRC.org
Internships
The International Rescue Committee offers unpaid semester and summer internships in our Silver Spring, MD office. IRC Interns make vital contributions and are a tremendous source of support to our resettlement work. Our internships are professional and skill based; they assign interactive responsibilities that pertain to the programmatic and operational activity of our office. The goal of the program is to advance the professional skills of our interns and to give them direct responsibilities within the resettlement process.
Internships are offered to undergraduate sophomores, juniors and seniors, graduate students, and recent graduates. Academic credit and funding can sometimes be arranged through your university or academic program. If you wish to receive academic credit, please indicate so in your application. The internship supervisor's name and address, as well as the necessary forms from your academic institution must be submitted upon acceptance to the program.
How to Apply:
To view our Spring/Summer/Fall semester internships openings, please see the positions below. To apply for a position, send us a resume, two signed and sealed letters of reference, and a one hundred word biography that describes your relevant experience and your interest in resettlement. Make sure to include whether you have a car, your days of availability and the title of the internship position to which you are applying in your application. Once the deadline has passed, the intern coordinator will distribute applications to the appropriate program staff, who will then contact the short list of candidates for a phone interview.
Please e-mail, fax, or mail your application to
Suburban Washington Resettlement Center
Attn. IRC Intern Coordinator
8700 Georgia Ave. Suite 500
Silver Spring, MD 20910
Fax (301) 562-8585
Katherine.Evans@theIRC.org
Application Due Dates:
Spring: (mid January to early May) December 1
Summer: (mid May to mid August) March 1
Fall: (late August to early September) July 1
We offer the following internships: Refugee Reception and Placement, Asylee Program, Refugee and Asylee Health, Family Reunification, and Employment/Special Programs. To learn more about each internship, see below.
If you have any questions about the internship program, please contact the Internship Coordinator at Katherine.Evans@theIRC.org
Internship Descriptions:
Asylee Program Internship
The Asylee Program first began in 2006 as a partnership between the Maryland Office for New Americans, Lutheran Social Services, the Department of Health and Human Services and the IRC to serve persons granted asylum in the U.S.. The program serves asylees, victims of trafficking, secondary migrants (refugees who have moved from location of initial resettlement) and Cuban and Haitian parolees. Asylee Program Specialists provide initial services (including administering cash and rental assistance) to help asylees adjust to life in the U.S.. These services include assessing clients’ needs, addressing medical concerns, registering/applying for Social Security cards and State IDs, and linking clients to job services, education, training as well as other auxiliary programs. We currently serve clients from countries such as Cameroon, Liberia, Guinea, Sierra Leone, Democratic Republic of Congo, Central African Republic, Burundi, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Sudan, Somalia, Haiti, El Salvador, Honduras, Cuba, Colombia, Iraq, Afghanistan, Russia, Burma, Pakistan and Iran.
Responsibilities:
• Assessing new asylees’ eligibility for benefits and services
• Assisting asylees with orientation, including development of clients’ own plan for self-sufficiency
• Calling clients with updates and inquiries
• Researching community resources for clients
• Assisting asylees in enrollment with health insurance companies and with primary care physicians for medical care
• Assisting with other administrative duties as needed, including assisting clients at the front desk
Qualifications:
• An interest in international and asylum issues
• Effective communication and writing skills
• Attention to detail
• Self-motivation and initiative to follow through on projects
• Interest in working in a multi-cultural setting
• Fluency/ proficiency in Amharic, Tigrinya, Spanish or French is highly desirable
• Minimum 15-20 hour per week commitment
Employment and Special Programs Internship
One of the most integral parts of resettlement is employment. It is crucial for clients to be employed to become self sufficient. The IRC’s employment program helps clients prepare for their first job in the US. The intern for the Employment and Special Programs Coordinator will provide support for programs that enable clients. The intern will also participate in and organize specialized programs to better serve clients who have been in the United States for over eight months.
Responsibilities:
• Participate and conduct information sessions, workshops, and programs to address the needs of clients
• Help Job Developer identify, cultivate, and maintain relationships/partnerships with service providers and employers.
• Maintain database of contact information
• Collect and track relevant statistics on current programs and guide development of new initiatives
• Assist clients in planning for self-sufficiency through use of family budget
• Provide job counseling and acculturation to US workplace expectations. Assist in developing resumes and cover letters
• Coordinate client’s initial transportation needs to interviews, drug tests, and worksites.
• Follow up with employers/employees after job placement. Strive to resolve problems to employer’s and employee’s satisfaction.
• Help clients access community resources that address acculturation and adaptation
Qualifications:
• An interest in international and asylum issues
• Effective communication and writing skills
• Attention to detail
• Self-motivation and initiative to follow through on projects
• Interest in working in a multi-cultural setting
• Fluency/ proficiency in a second language is desirable
• Minimum 15-20 hour per week commitment
Refugee Reception and Placement Internship
The Reception and Placement Program is the first point of contact for newly arrived refugees. Case Managers provide initial services to orient the refugees to life in the US. These services include securing housing, addressing medical concerns, registering children in school, applying for Social Security cards and State IDs, and linking clients to our internal and mainstream services.
Responsibilities:
• Assist Reception and Placement (R&P) case managers manage clients’ cases and maintain case files.
• Set up apartments for newly arriving refugees.
• Orient new clients on methods of public transportation.
• Follow-up with local Social Service offices on public assistance issues.
• Obtain State IDs for newly arrived refugees.
• Make and take clients to doctor’s appointments
• Perform on-going orientations on safety, health and hygiene, and financial literacy.
• Assist R&P Program Manager with processing correspondence and community outreach.
• Assist with other duties as assigned.
Qualifications:
• Ability to work independently as well as in a team
• Creativity and initiative to follow through on projects
• Effective communication and writing skills
• An interest in international and refugee issues
• Interest in working in a multi-cultural setting
• A car or access to a car is highly desirable
• Fluency in a second language is highly desirable
• Minimum 15-20 hour per week commitment
Refugee and Asylee Public Health Internship
Responsibilities:
• Provide one-on-one client counseling for basic health education issues, support for enrolling in appropriate Managed Care Organizations (MCO) serving Medicaid recipients, and assistance in finding “immigrant friendly” health care providers.
• Develop and maintain databases tracking initial health screenings, health benefits application process, and patient satisfaction follow-up for monitoring and evaluation purposes.
• Research local health resources and develop user-friendly resource guide.
• Assist in coordinating health seminars for case managers, clients, and community leaders on pertinent health topics and access to health resources.
• Gather and organize health promotion educational materials for the SWRC.
• Accompany and guide clients as needed to local health departments for screening.
• Other duties as assigned.
Qualifications:
• Interest and experience in public health and displaced/immigrant populations
• Effective interpersonal, organizational, and writing skills
• Creativity and initiative to follow through on projects
• Interest and flexibility in working in a fast-paced, multi-cultural setting
• Experience in database development and management highly desirable
• Fluency or proficiency in Burmese, Arabic, Bhutanese, Amharic, Tigrinya, Spanish or French desirable
• Minimum 20 hour per week commitment for a period of four months
