Volunteer Updates: August

Resettlement Services Are Back!

Refugee Resettlement & Placement Program is back in action!

With the help of Hailey, we are excited to announce that our Refugee Resettlement & Placement (R&P) volunteer program is back up and running! The R&P team assists with housing, cultural orientation, education, employment, medical and legal services, and case management during refugees’ first three months in Portland.

We will need flexible volunteers to help us welcome refugees in the following positions:

Airport Welcome Transportation (Welcoming new arrivals at the airport and transporting them to their accommodation)
Appointment Transportation (Transporting new arrivals to various appointments)
New home furnishing and set-up (Helping to set up refugee housing to provide a warm welcome)
Cleaning and organization crew (Cleaning temporary housing before move-in/after move-out)
Grocery pick-up & fridge stocking (Delivering groceries and stocking fridge and cabinets before move-in)

If you are interested in joining this program as a volunteer, please email us at volunteer@irco.org to get started.

Please join us in welcoming our new team member, Hailey Wellendorf!

"I recently joined the Volunteer Team as a Volunteer Associate. I will collaborate closely with the Refugee Resettlement team for their volunteer needs, although I will work with other departments as well. I am from Portland, and my background is in administration and teaching- in addition to teaching English in the US, I’ve also taught internationally in Latin America. I hope to use my teaching skills to create a volunteer onboarding process that is efficient, purposeful, and interesting. I am thrilled to be here at IRCO and I look forward to connecting you to great volunteer opportunities."

Event Highlights

Tonga Day

Tonga Day was held in celebration & honor of Tongan Heritage on Saturday, August 12. This event brought community & families together with cultural performances, live music, art, and more.

Many of our volunteers attended and supported this special event and we are very grateful for their effort and support!

Pacific Island Engage Sports Events

IRCO's Pacific Island Engage (PIE) youth program serves the Pacific Islander students attending Tigard-Tualatin School District and has been hosting sports events this month to encourage participants in building connections with the community and their peers through gathering and playing volleyball in the parks.

Volunteer Appreciation Day

We are excited to announce our Volunteer Appreciation Event this fall. The event will take place at Sokhom Tauch Community Center on October 26th from 5-7pm. We would love to see you there. More information coming soon!

Volunteer Opportunities

Tax Program: Tax Preparer or Intake Specialist

Are you detail-oriented and enjoy problem solving? IRCO's Tax Support Program is looking for Tax Preparer and Intake Specialist volunteers to work one-on-one with individuals and families preparing tax returns and serving as a trusted resource. This program strives to ensure clients file correctly and receive resources around managing returns and/or owed taxes. See these open positions and apply today!

Senior Services: Congregate Meal-Site volunteer

IRCO’s Senior Services programming is a bridge between our community's elders and mainstream society. The congregate meal-site serves to diminish social isolation and encourage independence. The elder community members who take part come to socialize, eat culturally specific food, learn new skills, and access resources they qualify for. Volunteers in this program help by serving meals, supporting program activities such as sewing, computer classes, community gardening, knitting, and a variety of other tasks. View more details here and apply today!

Upward Bound: Math & Science Tutor

Do you have experience tutoring and are skilled in math and science? IRCO’s Upward Bound is a college access youth program that serves first generation & low-income students with academic need who intend to enroll in post-secondary education directly out of high school. Eligible students receive services that include tutoring, academic advising, workshops, 6-week summer program, field trips, and support with the college/scholarship application process. Tutoring takes place Monday through Thursday from 2:30-4:15pm at David Douglas High School.

Browse Open Volunteer Positions

Volgistics Update

Our volunteer database, Volgistics, has launched a new portal for volunteers to interact with our organization. Through this portal, volunteers can:

Receive news & messages
Keep your personal information up-to-date
View and manage your schedule
Review your service history
Post your service hours
Manage your email and text message preferences

Note: we try to limit the amount of messages our volunteers receive, but we do request that you keep emailing permissions active so you can receive important news and updates.

Learn about VicNet by watching this video tutorial
Stay tuned for the new VicNet log-in link/URL and information about how you can download a mobile app.

Please Log your Monthly Service Hours! We appreciate you helping us report timely volunteer service numbers to meet reporting deadlines.

Log Your Hours Here

Need a refresher on how to log your service? Video link here (skip to 8:35 for instructions about entering service)
If you are unable to log your hours, please reach out to volunteer@irco.org and we are happy to enter the time on your behalf.
If you are no longer an IRCO volunteer, please let us know by emailing volunteer@irco.org so we can deactivate your profile.

Browse Open Volunteer Positions