Who are the Community Builders: Volunteers
This post is part of a series in the RIC’s campaign, “Fund our Community Builders.” Our community welcomes your gifts. Being able to provide equitable pay and benefits not only honors the expertise, kindness and hard mental and emotional work of the staff, but also helps ensure longevity in these important roles. Support the fund today.
The number of kids coming to the summer reading program tripled this year. It thrived because of the many volunteers, some who came just in time!
Kalkidan and Adib work on homework together
Ali helped kids with homework, from advanced high school English work, to coloring with the youngest learners
Our volunteers’ experiences at the RIC…
Our Community Builders create opportunities for others to get involved and become Community Builders themselves! Our volunteers are a critical component of our services and are highly valued and appreciated by our community. Because Thanksgiving is this week, we want to share how thankful we are for our volunteers.
LARKIN: For more than a year I volunteered in the office at the RIC, and while there, I was exposed to a model of public service that focused on community and mutual aid. My role was not that of a “savior” to helpless immigrants, but rather that of a community member using my skills and experience to help others, with whom I built close neighborly (not client-provider) relationships. And through my volunteering at the RIC, I experienced huge personal growth; I learned how to independently help with smaller tasks, and also when to ask the staff for guidance, to ensure we best served every neighbor.
“My role was that of a community member using my skills and experience to help others, with whom I built close neighborly (not client-provider) relationships.” — Larkin Cleland
Larkin is currently on a leave of absence from Ohio State, studying abroad. He will return in the fall to finish his senior year majoring in Islamic Studies, Geography, and Arabic. He volunteered at the RIC from January, 2020 to June, 2021.
Fact: 110 Volunteers have given 1,700 hours in service already in 2021!
IULIA: Iulia moved to the United States 4 years ago and can personally relate with our newly arrived families. She currently works as a digital marketing manager at Futurety. Iulia enjoys foraging for mushrooms and learning languages.
Our incredible volunteers….
Help students with homework
Drive neighbors to appointments
Distribute diapers, women’s pads and food boxes
Teach neighbors to drive
Write grants
Teach English classes
Do behind the scenes office work
Teach kids to read
Serve on the board and board workgroups
Do maintenance jobs and repair work at our office
Teach sewing classes
Converse with neighbors to practice English
Why fund our Community Builders?
We want to continue to help our neighbors connect with employment, and we aspire to be an attractive and competitive employer. Being able to provide equitable pay and benefits is important to the RIC; this not only honors the expertise, kindness and hard mental and emotional work of the staff, but also helps ensure longevity in their roles, which allows for trust to be built with neighbors, partners, volunteers, and other staff. Your generous gift will help the RIC continue to hire and retain top talent, in order to build relationships and support our neighbors.
Who is our Community?
Our neighbors. Our volunteers. Our partners. Our staff.