Together Project connects government-assisted refugees and refugee claimant newcomers with volunteers to build stronger, more integrated communities.

Our Welcome Group Program serves newcomers that face significant challenges to successful integration in their new communities. These include language and culture barriers, health issues, unemployment, and the lack of social connections.

Over 6 months, volunteers will work to address specific priorities identified by their matched household, through which both newcomers and volunteers will also have an opportunity to get to know each other. We make our matches based on shared interests, newcomer needs, and volunteer experience and skills.

Common priorities include:

• Practicing conversational English
• Navigating services like healthcare and education
• Finding extracurricular activities and tutoring for youth
• Socializing and making new friends

Commitment:

Since we recommend a weekly interaction between Welcome Groups and matched newcomer families, most volunteers dedicate roughly 3-4 hours a month to their match over a 6-month period.

These interactions can take place online or in-person, as preferred/convenient.

Your individual time commitment is flexible, as the responsibility is shared among group members and Welcome Group members can divide up activities according to their availability, interests, and expertise.

To apply, click here: bttr.im/a772o

We’re looking for volunteers who are:

• Arabic-speaking
• Passionate about helping newcomers and making social connections 
• Organized
• Sociable
• Culturally sensitive 
• Patient
• Interested in social work, immigration, and/or settlement
• Open to using virtual communication tools (e.g. WhatsApp, Zoom, etc.)

Together Project provides volunteers with training, guidance, and interpretation/translation assistance to help each Welcome Group maximize its impact. Volunteer orientation will be online, and subsequent Welcome Group meetings will start remotely, with the option to be delivered in a hybrid format.

To apply, click here: bttr.im/a772o