Welcome to our Monthly Newsletter from PCC4Refugees!
In this issue:
Welcoming Refugees: A Guide to Volunteer Opportunities for the Peace Corps Community
- This Guide, developed by the PCC4Refugees team, is to inspire more RPCVs and others to use their unique cross-cultural and language skills to welcome refugees and help them resettle in the United States. The guide provides information on a wide range of welcoming services that individuals and groups of RPCVs can provide for refugees in their communities and along the border.
In each issue, you are able to register for all upcoming events, view recordings of past events, access “Welcoming Refugees: A Guide to Volunteer Opportunities for the Peace Corps Community,” volunteer with our PCC4Refugees team, link to our website, and follow us on social media. All of this is in the issue below!
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Webinar Series:
To accompany the launch of the Guide, PCC4Refugees is hosting a webinar series relevant to members of the Peace Corps community who are working with refugees. We encourage both individual RPCVs and affiliate group leaders to participate.
- September 26 at 8 pm Eastern – An introduction to the newly-launched “Welcoming Refugees: A Guide to Volunteer and Employment Opportunities for the Peace Corps Community” and Switchboard, a one-stop online resource hub
- October 21 at 6:30 pm Eastern – Career Pathways in the Refugee Resettlement Sector, co-hosted with RPCVnexus
- November 18 at 8 pm Eastern – Advocacy Forum to review refugee-related legislation
- December 11 at 8 pm Eastern – Showcase highlighting RPCV and RPCV group activities supporting refugees
Register for any and all of the webinars (and the conversation below) on the website. Note that we will add further details on the individual sessions as we get closer to their dates. Details subject to change.
(Note: the content of each webinar is as of the dates noted. Some content may now be outdated.)
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More on the newly launched guide:
“Welcoming Refugees” provides information on a wide range of welcoming services individuals and groups of RPCVs can provide for refugees in their communities and along the border. Most of these volunteer activities don’t require a long-term, sustained commitment of time or particular expertise, so they can be done by anyone with an interest in helping. In addition to providing volunteer opportunities, the refugee and asylum serving agencies also provide employment opportunities for RPCVs. In fact, many RPCVs already work in these agencies at every level throughout the U.S. and the world.
“Welcoming Refugees” discusses a range of options for how RPCV affiliate organizations can support their members’ refugee-related volunteer activities and/or undertake organizational service and/or fundraising activities. Throughout, the Guide provides examples of what is already being done by the Peace Corps Community and links to numerous government and non-profit organization resources from which individuals and affiliates can draw to help them get started.
The Guide provides background information on the international refugee crisis and the U.S. response to this crisis. The Guide is a companion to PCC4Refugees’ advocacy activities on behalf of refugees and asylum seekers and the policies and programs that support refugee resettlement efforts in the U.S.
Peace Corps Community for Refugees hopes that this first iteration of the online guide will be built upon by RPCVs as they take their own actions and share with others the stories of their successes, the lessons they are learning, and additional informational resources they are finding.
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Join us to continue the conversation …
Join the conversation to start supporting refugees in your community – Monday, October 7 at 8 pm Eastern.
In addition to the formal webinars, PCC4Refugees is hosting a series of informal conversations on Zoom. Have additional questions after the webinar? Not sure where to get started? Want to connect with others and/or share ideas? Simply stop by! Someone from the PCC4Refugees team will be there to host the conversation, listen to your needs/questions, and try to guide you to the right resources.
The first one will be held on Monday, October 7 at 8 pm Eastern. Sign up on the website to get the Zoom link. Additional conversations will be scheduled following each webinar.
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Support PCC4Refugees!
PCC4Refugees is run entirely by volunteers, but our website and crucial database are not free. Help us best share key information with you and facilitate networking with your financial contribution.
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The mission of Peace Corps Community for Refugees (PCC4Refugees) is to inspire and mobilize the Peace Corps community to help those seeking refuge in our country and to advocate and educate on their behalf.
Please visit these pages of our website for regularly updated resources and opportunities: