Category Archives: Immigration

Philadelphia, Education, General, Human Rights, Immigration, Social Justice

New Sanctuary Movement of Philadelphia

New Sanctuary Movement of Philadelphia builds community across faith, ethnicity, and class in their work to end injustices against immigrants regardless of immigration status, express radical welcome for all, and ensure that values of dignity, justice, and hospitality are lived out in practice and upheld in policy.

Through grassroots organizing led by affected immigrants, New Sanctuary Movement fights and wins immigrant justice campaigns with members across nationality, faith, class, and immigration status. Their community organizing in Philadelphia builds power in immigrant communities to alter the power imbalance, organizes direct action campaigns, builds the individual and collective capacity of the immigrant community and brings immigrant and ally communities together in solidarity to work for change.

The New Sanctuary Movement of Philadelphia has multiple campaigns that change from time to time, as well as the following permanent programs:

  • Accompaniment Program (a primary method through which allied congregations provide solidarity to our immigrant members facing deportation)
  • New Leadership School (an intensive five-month course that educates immigrant leaders to organize for change and immigration justice in Philadelphia)
  • Know Your Rights Trainings (inform immigrants of their legal and civil rights, provide the tools to defend those rights, and engage communities to address the roots causes of immigration injustice)
  • Immigration 101 Workshops (educate hundreds of people each year to distinguish between immigration facts and myth, and engage allies in our immigrant justice movement)

Website: sanctuaryphiladelphia.org

Facebook: facebook.com/New.Sanctuary.Movement.of.Philadelphia/

Contact: 215-279-7060, nsm@sanctuaryphiladelphia.org

Location: 2601 Potter St, Philadelphia, PA 19125

Children, Philadelphia, Education, Employment, Health Literacy, Housing, Immigration, Languages, Literacy, Seniors, Spanish-Speaking Populations, Technology

Lutheran Children and Family Service

Lutheran Children and Family Service of Eastern Pennsylvania commits itself to serve vulnerable children and families in community through culturally competent ministries of care, nurturing, shelter, advocacy, and counseling, including but not limited to foster care, adoption, family preservation, education, resettlement, housing and job development. Students can get involved with our refugee resettlement program, BOOST after school program, and our West Philadelphia Senior Community Center.

The Lutheran Children and Family Service Refugee Resettlement Program is a local affiliate of the National Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service, which assists refugees and asylees through a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Department of State. When a refugee family arrives to the area, Lutheran Children and Family Service is responsible for gathering available resources, finding housing and employment, and providing general cultural orientation. Our refugee resettlement services are designed to create a smooth transition to life in the local community and to promote economic self-sufficiency. Volunteers are needed to mentor refugee families, escort refugees to appointments, provide homework help for refugee youth, set up refugee homes, assist with ESL classes, tutor unaccompanied refugee minors, collect donations, and provide childcare at workshops.

BOOST (Best Out of School Time) is a program through Lutheran Children and Family Service that provides before and after school programs to over 900 youth at 11 schools in Southwest, West, North, and Northeast Philadelphia.  Volunteers are needed to assist with homework and lead clubs and workshops for our students.

The West Philadelphia Senior Community Center (WPSCC) is a program through Lutheran Children and Family Service that offers dynamic and rewarding activities and events for older adults, ages 50 and above, who are residents of Philadelphia. WPSCC offers a computer lab with new computers and iPads for instruction and use, a fitness room with physical trainer and various exercise programs, as well as an array of daily classes and activities that enrich the mind, body and spirit. Volunteers are needed to teach classes in topics such as Spanish, quilting, woodworking, and scrapbooking.

If interested, please complete a volunteer application here!

Website: http://www.lcfsinpa.org/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LibertyLutheran/

Contact: (215) 456-5700, amandab@lcfsinpa.org

Location: 5401 Rising Sun Ave, Philadelphia, PA 19120

Field of Interest, All Opportunities, Location, Philadelphia, Economic Development, Employment, General, Health Services, Immigration, Languages, Literacy, Low Income Populations, Spanish-Speaking Populations, Women

African Family Health Organization (AFAHO)

African Family Health Organization is a non-profit organization that works with members of the African and Caribbean immigrant and refugee communities in the greater Philadelphia in order to improve their access to healthcare and social services. AFAHO provides direct services to nearly 1,000 members and reaching another 2,500 through community outreach. One of the issues AFAHO focuses  on is the development and implementation of programs aimed at mitigating structural and cultural barriers to HIV/AIDS care for African immigrant women in Philadelphia.

Volunteers may choose to either work directly with members of AFHO’s target community or in their office supporting the staff by providing clerical, professional or other services.

Some of the health programs and services they offer are:

  • Health education workshops
  • Medical escort services
  • Translation & Interpretation
  • Development of bi-lingual health education materials
  • Access to screening services including HIV Counseling & Testing; Pap Smears; GYN exams; mammograms etc
  • HIV/AIDS prevention, education, counseling, testing and linkage to medical care
  • Breast Cancer awareness, education and support
  • Access to Medical Care for the under-insured
  • a maternal and child health services for pregnant women and new mothers.

The human services provided include:

  • English as a Second Language (ESL) classes
  • Adult literacy programs
  • Life skills training
  • Computer Literacy
  • Cultural adjustment workshops to assist in adapting to the culture of the U.S.
  • Tutoring and Mentoring for Children

Website: http://www.afaho.net/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AFAHO.Phila/

Contact: 215-546-1232, oni@afaho.net

Location: African Family Health Organization, 4415 Chestnut Street, Suite 202, Philadelphia, PA 19104

*This site is accessible via public transportation from the Bryn Mawr campus. Please see transportation reimbursement policy.

Field of Interest, All Opportunities, Location, Philadelphia, General, Immigration

International House

International House offers educational and social programs that assist its residents, and other international students and scholars, with their adjustment to American society and life in Philadelphia. The International House looks to encourage cross-cultural understanding and leadership skills necessary to succeed in today’s global economy.

International House presents hundreds of public programs to over Philadelphia area residents throughout the year. The programs are designed to “foster a global community by celebrating the world’s cultural diversity and probing issues from an international perspective.”

Volunteers provide support in event coordination, fund raising, language classes, administrative needs and promotion in the community. The IHP “Arts + Culture” programs, Residents Programs, Development Office, and “English + Foreign Language” Programs are some opportunities to get involved.

Website: http://ihousephilly.org

Contact: 215-387-5125

Location: 3701 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, USA

*This site is accessible via public transportation from the Bryn Mawr campus. Please see transportation reimbursement policy.

Children, Field of Interest, All Opportunities, Location, Philadelphia, Education, Immigration, Languages, Literacy, Spanish-Speaking Populations

Puentes de Salud

Puentes de Salud is a non-profit community health and wellness organization that partners with the Mexican immigrant population in south Philadelphia to promote well being by providing health care in addition to a variety of other programs. Currently, Puentes de Salud is working in partnership with the Graduate School of Education (GSE) at The University of Pennsylvania to develop an after school tutoring & mentoring program that focuses on the education of undocumented, immigrant children in the elementary grades 1-3. We are seeking motivated and committed volunteers to join us in this effort as tutors and mentors. Group tutoring sessions will pair tutors with two to three students to help them with their homework, educational development, and social support. This opportunity will require a commitment of 2 hours per week, with a minimum of one semester of service requested. Tutoring sessions will be held at the United Communities building at 8th and Snyder in South Philly. We are hoping to have teams of 2 tutors paired with 4 students, with a mandatory meeting one afternoon per week and drop-in hours on the other days.

Website: http://www.puentesdesalud.org/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PuentesDeSalud/

Contact: 215-454-8000, info@puentesdesalud.org

Location: 2029 S. 8th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19148

*This site is accessible via public transportation from the Bryn Mawr campus. Please see transportation reimbursement policy.

Philadelphia, Immigration

Nationalities Service Center

Established in 1921, Nationalities Service Center (NSC) is a nonprofit organization that provides social, educational, senior, translation/interpretation, and legal services to immigrants and refugees in the Greater Philadelphia area. You can help by volunteering/interning in a number of capacities, including as a teacher, teaching assistant, tutor, office helper, graphic designer, companion, bilingual receptionist, and more. Please see their website for more information.

Website: http://www.nationalitiesservice.org/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NationalitiesServiceCenter

Contact: 215-893-8400, help@nscphila.org

Address: 1216 Arch Street 4th Floor, Philadelphia, PA 19107

*This site is accessible via public transportation from the Bryn Mawr campus. Please see transportation reimbursement policy.