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RAP client Sylvie Maunga Mbanga (third from left) with her volunteers

Applying to RAP

The Volunteer Experience

ABOUT RAP

How is RAP structured?
In order to focus on its primary task of refugee assistance, RAP purposely maintains a flat leadership structure. Like all YPFP programs, RAP is entirely volunteer-run. All RAP members, including the leadership team, are expected to volunteer with refugees on a regular basis. In addition, many RAP members work together to plan monthly staff events, such as film screenings, guest speakers and social events. Others hold YPFP leadership positions outside of RAP.
About the RAP Leadership Team.

Who are RAP's refugee clients?
Since 2007, the YPFP Refugee Program has partnered with the International Rescue Committee's resettlement office in Silver Spring, MD. The IRC is one of the world's leading humanitarian agencies and one of the largest refugee resettlement agencies in the Unites States. YPFP is proud to support the IRC's efforts on behalf of refugees by donating our time, resources and energy. For more information on the International Rescue Committee, please visit www.theIRC.org.

In addition, since October 2008, RAP has partnered with The List Project to provide much-needed support to Iraqi families who are imperiled due to their involvement with the United States in Iraq and have sought protection in the Greater Washington, DC area. To find out how to help Iraqi refugees in your area, visit www.netroots.thelistproject.org.

In February 2009, RAP formed its third partnership, with Lutheran Social Services of the National Capital Area. Since the 1970s influx of refugees fleeing the Vietnam war, LSS/NCA has based its refugee resettlement services on a model of community and faith group sponsorship. Through the decades, the Refugee and Immigrant Services (RIS) program has provided a variety of case management and employment services to over ten thousand refugees in the National Capital Area and Baltimore region.

Where do the refugees come from?
Currently, RAP volunteers are working with refugee clients from Afghanistan, Bhutan/Nepal, Burma, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Cote d'Ivoire, Democratic Republic of the, Congo, Eritrea, Guinea, India, Iran, Iraq, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, and Uganda. It's impossible to know ahead of time where new clients will be arriving from - the caseworkers themselves often don't know people are coming until 48 hours before they land! That said, the Suburban Washington Resettlement Office is expecting a large number of clients from Iraq and from Nepal/Bhutan in the months ahead. Moreover, The List Project works exclusively with US-affiliated refugees from Iraq and Afghanistan. Clients' age, education level, and English proficiency run the gamut: we work with folks who have spent their whole lives in refugee camps and have never seen electricity before as well as lawyers, engineers and teachers. Most of our clients are families with children, but there are also a lot of couples and single adults.

Who are RAP's volunteers?

  • RAP is a service program of Young Professionals in Foreign Policy, so most of our volunteers are... what you would expect. About half of our volunteers were YPFP members prior to joining RAP, while the other half came to YPFP through RAP. We strongly encourage you to join YPFP and take advantage of the many professional, educational and social opportunities the organization has to offer. If you feel that YPFP membership is not for you, that's fine, too.

YPFP membership applications are considered on a rolling basis, with new member orientations held each quarter. Click here to submit an application for YPFP membership.

  • If you have a friend or significant other who also wants to join, and you want to volunteer as a team (i.e., work with the same clients), that's no problem at all and even encouraged. Teams whose members get to know and like each other tend to be more successful than those who remain mere acquaintances.

Does RAP hold fundraisers to benefit refugee clients?
No. In the past, a number of RAP volunteers have expressed interest in finding ways to provide financial assistance to our refugee clients. After extensive consultation with YPFP leadership and our partner organizations, RAP decided that engaging in fundraising and/or grant-making activities was neither feasible nor advisable at this time. It takes the full effort of our volunteer staff (less than the equivalent of one full-time person) to run RAP's current operations, and we need to focus our efforts on consolidating and growing our robust and already well-respected mentoring program.
 
APPLYING TO RAP

Do I need to be a YPFP member to volunteer?
We strongly encourage you to join YPFP and take advantage of the many professional, educational and social opportunities the organization has to offer. If you feel that YPFP membership is not for you, that's fine, too.  Click here to submit an application for YPFP membership.

I work full-time - can I still volunteer with RAP?
Absolutely. You coordinate your volunteer schedule around your availability and your clients' needs. Current RAP volunteers all either work full-time or go to school (some even do both!).  Anticipate volunteering at least 10 hours per month for six months.

Can I join with my friend/coworker/roommate/significant other?
Absolutely - just indicate as much in your application. Requests must be mutual.

What does RAP look for in volunteers?
Mentoring refugees is an intellectually and emotionally demanding - as well as rewarding - opportunity to help survivors of oppression, war, and political violence build a new life in America. Successful RAP volunteers are highly-motivated, committed individuals with a strong ability and willingness to take initiative. They also have extensive international/cross-cultural experience, a flexible attitude, a keen interest in other people and cultures, and a genuine desire to form relationships with their refugee clients and fellow volunteers. The ability to communicate in languages other than English (Arabic speakers are especially needed) is an asset, but not a requirement.

What is the time commitment?
Volunteering with refugees takes a lot of time - expect a minimum of 10-15 hours a month, scheduled around the clients' and your availability. Because of their financial situation, the vast majority of our clients live in Maryland and Virginia, far away from the Metro, though most are accessible by bus. So in addition to the time actually spent with your family, you should expect to spend a good two hours round-trip commuting to see them, especially at the beginning. A current volunteer who is working with a family from Nepal says:

 

"In my group, we are blessed to all be really dedicated, reliable, and committed. I actually think often that it's a perfect group and we all pitch in and have each others backs. I imagine how it would be if we weren't like that - our family was really upset and culture shocked at first, and if we had gotten a flaky group, it would have made their experience all the more disjointed and confusing. The most important thing for our family in the first month, I think, was that we were JUST THERE (even if in shifts), every week, a constant presence, came when we said - and took turns being there when members of our group couldn't be. The father had tears in his eyes the first time we met him and told us they all feel very, very alone. Our reliable presence helped them to know that they are not alone, that it was a good decision to come here and there are people who will care about them. I imagine that volunteers who'd come once and then call and flake out not only make a bad experience even worse but they would make IRC look very bad, as well as RAP and YPFP."

What are the volunteer requirements?

  • Participating in a training session (usually offered every other month).
  • As part of a team, meeting with refugee family at least twice per month based on your schedule and the family's needs.
  • Helping assigned refugee family meet basic needs such as practice English conversation skills, opening a bank account, shopping for groceries, registering for English classes, navigating the Metro system, getting their children into school, and adjusting to American culture and society.
  • Reporting volunteer hours each month.
  • Committing to the program for at least six months.

I have a pretty hectic life... will I be able to fit RAP into my busy schedule?

  • Unlike volunteering at a soup kitchen, stuffing envelopes or another one-off volunteer activity, RAP is a commitment to building a relationship. Our partner organizations are entrusting us with the care of vulnerable human beings who have already being through more than most of us can imagine - war, torture, rape, poverty, displacement, persecution, political violence, and the feeling that no one cares what happens to them. They have taken a huge leap of faith in coming to the United States, and they need caring, committed support - not more empty promises. It can actually do more harm than good to go visit a family once or twice and then disappear, making the refugees feel even more confused, abandoned, and alone. If you have any doubts about your ability to make this level of commitment, this is probably not the right time for you to join RAP.
  • It is extremely important to keep your commitments to your clients, to our partner oorganizations, to your fellow volunteers, and to the RAP program. This means: showing up when you've said you will, or calling to reschedule; promptly responding to emails; and submitting online time sheets at the end of each month. 

When should I expect to be contacted? When will there be an orientation meeting for all potential volunteers?
You will receive an email as soon as an orientation session is scheduled. In 2009, orientations are planned for February, May, July, September and November. They will be scheduled at least a month in advance.

THE VOLUNTEER EXPERIENCE

What kind of assistance will we providing?
RAP volunteers serve as mentors, teachers and friends to their clients. Every situation is unique, but most clients need help practicing English, looking for jobs, figuring out public transportation and other services in their area, as well as learning about American culture and society.

How will I know what to do?
All volunteers are required to participate in a training with representatives from RAP and our partner organizations, the International Rescue Committee, Lutheran Social Services and The List Project. This orientation covers  basic concepts in refugee and asylum law, an overview of global displacement and resettlement, the US Refugee Admissions Program, RAP policies and procedures, do's and don't's for the first meeting with your clients, and intercultural communication tips.  Additionally, the YPFP website includes a wikipedia-style "Best Practices" section where volunteers can ask and answer questions. "Best Practices" also serves as a repository for our institutional knowledge so you don't have to reinvent the wheel.

What resources are out there?
Volunteers have access to the "Best Practices" wiki site, which serves as an archive of useful reads and message board to share experiences, questions and advice. Monthly get-togethers are another venue for networking and camaraderie. Experienced volunteers are on-hand to answer any questions, and the RAP leadership is always available to answer your questions by e-mail or phone.
 

Will I be able to practice my language skills?
It depends. We make every effort to match clients with volunteers who have relevant language skills, so if you speak Arabic, Burmese or Nepali there is an excellent chance we will put those skills to good use. However, most young professionals in the DC area speak French or Spanish. We do not currently work with any Spanish-speaking clients (there are very few Spanish-speaking refugees in the US), though we do work with a fair number of French-speaking refugees from Africa.

I'm just starting my career, and am not terribly solvent myself. Will I be expected to give money to my clients?
Not at all, and in fact we strongly advise against it. Monetary gifts tend to complicate the mentor/mentee relationship and get in the way of the emotional and cultural support you can provide. Rather than give your clients money, we urge you to help them write resumes and look and apply for jobs. In this economy, new immigrants have an especially tough time because they don't yet know what American employers are looking for, or even how to begin a job search. It's perfectly fine for you to treat your client to coffee or lunch everyone once in a while, though there's certainly no obligation, or to help with in-kind donations (if you have an extra toaster laying around, for example), but we do advise strongly against financially supporting your clients.

I will be out of town during the next scheduled training events. When can I next attend an event?
RAP trainings require coordinating the schedules of a half-dozen people to lead the sessions, all of whom do this in addition to full-time work and/or study. For this reason we are unable to schedule additional trainings. If you can't attend the first orientation scheduled after you apply, you can always postpone until the following quarter.

How much of a choice do I have regarding who I am matched with?
Client/volunteer pairings are made by RAP leadership and a representative from the client's sponsor organization (either IRC, LSS or TLP), based on factors including but not limited to geography, language skills, and preferences expressed by either party. You are always free to decline an assignment and wait for a better match. If you are volunteering with a friend or significant other, we'll also take that into consideration.

How large are the volunteer teams that we work with and generally how many families are we assigned to work with?
Teams generally consist of 3-6 volunteers. Most volunteers only work with one client or family at a time.

I have a question that isn't addressed on this page. How can I get an answer?
E-mail us at refugees@ypfp.org.

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