Working Group for Santa Fe Public Schools (SFPS)
SFPS has approximately 10,000 students, about 20% are bilingual and/or children of
undocumented immigrants which have special needs. SFPS, and New Mexico Schools
in general are nationally ranked poorly in terms of academic scores, reading levels,
graduation rates and college attendance. Greater community involvement – through
programs to assist bilingual students with tutoring and other support – as well as
tutoring across the board and encouraging greater community involvement and teacher
support would benefit all students and lead to improved outcomes. SFPS has just
hired a new School Superintendent, and this presents a unique opportunity for greater
community engagement and reform.

The Coalition is looking to create a working group to discuss the issue and
how best to engage with other organizations such as Adelante, Communities in School,
Gerard’s House among others to provide tutors and other support to SFPS
administration, teachers, students and immigrant students.

If you are interested in being part of the working group please contact:
Bruce Goslin at: brgoslin@fastmail.fm
Lynn Bickley at: lbick09@gmail.com


Santa Fe Dreamers
This organization provides a range of legal services to immigrants. They welcome volunteers who can assist them in delivering services to clients, helping at immigration clinics, as well as providing general office support, fund raising and other events.

Volunteers are asked to fill out a brief questionnaire, including the amount of time you are willing to volunteer and when, activities you would like to participate in and skills sets, such as language, legal knowledge, and so forth.

To volunteer- go to Santa Fe Dreamers Project
On the landing page, click on “Get Involved” at the top of the page, then click on “Volunteer”, which will take you to the questionnaire.


Gerard’s House
Gerard’s House provides grief counseling and support to the larger Santa Fe Community, from those experiencing loss or family separation due to deportation and incarceration. Gerard’s House is a resource for Adelante – a program within Santa Fe Public Schools – to work with immigrant children who experience a loss due to deportation of a parent or significant adult.

From their website:
Gerard’s House is here for everyone in our community who is grieving. Because so
many families experience barriers when they need grief support, we energetically focus
on making our services accessible. Services include 25 weekly peer grief support
groups, a mobile unit, individual sessions, summer camps, teen movies nights, crisis
response services and support for parents/caregivers, all free of charge and bilingual for
youth ages 3 – 21 who have experienced life-changing loss. We also provide 7 weekly
grief support groups for adults in English and Spanish, all free of charge.

When you give to Gerard’s House, or volunteer, you join us in this spirit of justice, love,
healing and partnership.

Gerard’s House provides a range of different programs, each depends on volunteers
who go through a training and orientation program and work with professional
counselors and staff. Volunteers are able to choose which program to volunteer with,
as each has different commitments and needs.

To volunteer, click on the following link:
https://gerardshouse.org

At the landing page click on the “Volunteer” button which is on the top of the page. The
volunteer button will further explain the program, outline their activities and where
volunteers are needed, as well as the commitment and weekly time expected from the
volunteer. Continue scrolling down to the application form, which can be filled out and
submitted online.

To become a volunteer there is a background check – which may require a fingerprint
and criminal background check. Before beginning there is a required formal orientation
and training session that must be completed before volunteers can start.


New Mexico Immigrant Law Center (NMILC)

This organization also provides legal services to the immigrant community, and welcomes the help and support of volunteers and community organizations.

From their website:
Our mission is to advance justice and equity by empowering low-income immigrant communities through collaborative legal services, advocacy and education.

Volunteering with NMILC:
The NMILC welcomes volunteers to assist them with a range of activities. To volunteer click on the NMILC link below:
www.nmilc.org

Once on the NMILC landing page, click on “Get Involved” along the top of the page. This will take you to their volunteer page.

Several different volunteer opportunities are described in detail, including requirements and tasks expected for each position.
Continue scrolling down to their application form which can be completed online.



Afghan Scout Relief Education Fund 
Background: When US troops pulled out of Afghanistan on August 26th, 2021, the
Taliban took over and implemented strict rules, especially oppressive to
women. Girls were no longer allowed to attend school and were forced to stay home
with no voice and no options. 

Rescue: Each of these students had dreams of completing their education and starting
careers in fields like medicine, accounting, and business. They are the lucky
ones…connecting with an Afghan Evacuation organization that was able to bring them
to the United States because of the danger they were in. High school students were
matched with host families at Waldorf schools, and college students were placed in
cooperating universities. Almost all are on partial scholarships that need to be
supplemented.
 
Volunteer Opportunities: 
 
Predeparture Contact and Tutoring Volunteers 
1. The volunteer is paired with an Afghan student, usually still residing in Afghanistan, who is waiting for a scholarship, funding, and a visa interview to be arranged – which can take weeks or months. During regular video calls (one hour, two or three times per month) the volunteer assists the student with improving their English, reading and writing assignments, as well as orientation about living in the U.S. 
 
2. Volunteers are also needed to work with students who have been accepted
into a US school and moved from Afghanistan to a safe location – often in
Pakistan as they wait for a visa interview at the U.S. Embassy to be
scheduled. Working with an individual student, the volunteer assists with
increasing English language fluency, reading and writing  skills and providing
general orientation about living in the U.S.  These students are usually
within weeks of departing for the U.S.  These are video calls – 1 hour in
duration that are scheduled as needed. 

  
Scholarship Research 
The Volunteer will research supplementary scholarships (since most students are not
on full scholarships), residency requirements for reduced tuition, and assist individual
students with applications for obtaining scholarships, funding, study grants or financial
assistance, as well as applications for transfer.
 
Student Assistance and Support Volunteer
The volunteer will work with a student or group of students who are in the U.S.,
attending classes at different Colleges and Universities, living in dormitory situations.  
The volunteer will provide regular check ins, guidance and assistance to students to
navigate campus life, adjust to living in the U.S. and ensure that students are familiar
with the Guide Book – which provides detailed information about their financial support,
meeting Visa requirements, addressing medical needs and orienting them to on campus
behavior and other social mores as they adjust to life on campus.  
The volunteer will assist in finding host families for college students over summer
breaks and holidays.  The volunteer will also work to ensure that the student or students
(there may be more than one Afghan at a particular school) has a community support
group – be it a local organization or Church – to assist in their integration.
   
Note:  The SAS volunteer will assist other experienced ASRF volunteers to fully develop
and finalize the Guide Book that will be provided to each student upon arrival.   The
Guide Book is a “living document” and needs to be regularly updated.
  
Special Tutors for College Students 
Volunteers with scientific and or medical backgrounds are needed to assist Afghan
students in U.S. Colleges studying STEM subjects who may need help with the special
vocabulary, terminology and definitions unique to STEM studies.   The volunteer may be
asked to provide one on one assistance for a limited period of time (which will be done
long distance via Zoom) or provide a webinar training session to specific issues.

   
Volunteer for Social Media/Web Page 
Volunteer with a background and knowledge of Social Media, website design, and
social media capture to develop a program for the ASRF Education Fund that will raise
awareness, drive fundraising,  develop a following, and create newsletters and
compelling messaging.

For more information and details about the above volunteer positions please contact:
Donna Fleetwood
fleetwooddonna4@gmail.com
717-439-3459



VIDA - Volunteers for Immigrants in Detention Albuquerque

VIDA supports asylum seekers in detention throughout NM.  VIDA volunteers (not just from
ABQ), led by volunteer coordinator Kelly McCloskey Romero, visit Torrance and Cibola Detention
Centers on a monthly basis and also participate in writing to detainees. 

The conditions in these facilities are abhorrent.  The visits and letters give detainees a
sense that they are not alone.  VIDA listens to the stories of detainees (all men from
various countries, mostly Spanish-speaking) and collects their written testimonies about
conditions in the detention centers.

VIDA volunteers are also in contact with the New Mexico immigrant Law Center as well
as U.S. Congressional staff. VIDA communicates with NM State legislators, county
commissioners, and attends rallies in support of ending ICE detention in New Mexico.
For information and guidelines about letter-writing and visiting, please refer to the VIDA
Website at www.abqvida.org.

Volunteers are now required to do background checks and plan further ahead for visits.

For more information see their website at www.abqvida.org


Esperanza – Domestic Violence Shelter
Volunteer needs are being updated soon