Opportunities From: Samaritas

We're looking for 4 volunteers to provide transportation for refugee youth to our Civics Engagement Fair in Lansing on Tuesday, September 1st.

Many of our Southeast MI refugee youth have never had the opportunity to explore different parts of Michigan, and they absolutely love getting to visit a new city! Last year, volunteers took youth to Ann Arbor for an event, and it was a highlight for many of them. This year, we're excited to bring them to Lansing!

Volunteers will:

 Pick up an assigned refugee youth

 Attend the Civics Engagement Fair together (6:00–8:00 PM - Food is provided at event)

Drive the youth safely back home afterward

The Civics Engagement Fair will provide families with the opportunity to:

Learn about voting and civic engagement

Learn about the path to U.S. citizenship

Hear from local leaders and discover ways to get involved in their community Explore volunteer opportunities

Connect with local organizations, community resources, & ways they can become active members of their new communities

Please note: This opportunity requires approximately a 1½-hour drive each way to Lansing. We understand this is a larger ask and longer commitment than many of our volunteer opportunities. Gas assistance is available for volunteers who would like it.

If you're looking for a meaningful way to make a difference while spending an evening with an incredible young person, please respond to this opportunity - we'd love to have you join us!

As our food delivery program continues to grow, we're looking for a volunteer to help us prepare weekly food deliveries for refugee families.

Every Thursday morning in Highland Park from 9am-10am, you'll help prepare food orders for refugee families at our partner food pantry by organizing groceries into bags and loading them into the vehicles of our food delivery volunteers before they head out for deliveries. This is a great opportunity for someone who enjoys staying active, working behind the scenes, and making a direct impact on families in our community.

Gather food items for scheduled client deliveries

Organize groceries into individual family bags

Help load grocery bags into volunteers' vehicles

Assist with keeping the distribution area organized

Optional: Deliver food to refugee families after loading is complete (not required)

Ability to lift and carry up to 15 pounds

Comfortable standing and walking for up to an hour

Willingness to work outdoors while organizing and loading food

Dependable and punctual

Friendly, positive attitude

Ability to work well with staff and fellow volunteers

Passion for serving refugee families and making a difference in the community

Your one hour each Thursday helps ensure refugee families have access to nutritious food and essential support as they build new lives in Michigan!

Your donation of supplies helps Samaritas refugee and immigrant children participate in creative, educational, and confidence-building activities throughout our fun Summer Program. Every item purchased helps create a fun, welcoming environment where youth can learn, make friends, and thrive in their new community.
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Every Thursday morning, ACC Food Pantry provides donated food available to those in need, including our refugee clients.

We are looking for volunteers willing to participate in picking up and delivering local food pantry food to our client's doorsteps! 

Deliveries happen on a weekly basis, but signing up to help does not mean you have to deliver every week. Volunteers can sign up based on their availability and can choose how many and which clients they would like to deliver to from a list sent out each week. Most clients are located in Macomb and Wayne County.

Volunteer individually or get a couple of volunteer friends together and deliver together to make it a whole fun morning! 

If you are interested, please respond to this opportunity for more information! 

As one of the largest refugee resettlement agencies in the state, Samaritas has resettled thousands of people from dozens of countries in Europe, Asia, Africa, the Middle East and Central and South America. Samaritas has been the Michigan affiliate of Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service since the 1950s. To support New Americans with a monetary donation, visit https://www.samaritas.org/About-Samaritas/Donate. 

When a client needs something that is not in our inventory of donated items, our Resource Team will reach out to people offering those items on Facebook Marketplace. While we have had decent success with this, it is very time consuming. We could use an extra set of eyes!

This volunteer would work closely with staff to look for available items on Marketplace and make initial contact with potential donors. Staff will provide a list of high-priority items, as well as a script for reaching out to sellers. Staff will also coach the volunteer on our guidelines for what items we can and cannot accept.

If you are interested in serving in this capacity, please respond to this posting for more details.
Responding to this post will also set you up to report your volunteer hours by showing this as an option you volunteered with on the "Hours" page.

As one of the largest refugee resettlement agencies in the state, Samaritas has resettled thousands of people from dozens of countries in Europe, Asia, Africa, the Middle East and Central and South America. Samaritas has been the Michigan affiliate of Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service since the 1950s. To support New Americans with a monetary donation, visit https://www.samaritas.org/About-Samaritas/Donate. 

A 50-year-old Dari-speaking gentleman in our community is seeking a compassionate and patient mentor to support him as he navigates community integration and prioritizes his mental well-being. He has experienced strokes in the past, which have impacted him cognitively and emotionally, and he would greatly benefit from consistent social connection and encouragement.

This mentorship is centered on companionship-spending time together through conversation, light recreational activities, and helping him feel more connected and confident in his daily life. Simple, consistent engagement can have a powerful impact on his sense of belonging and overall wellness.

This opportunity can be flexible, with options for virtual or in-person connection depending on your availability and comfort. If you are kind, understanding, and open to building a supportive relationship, your presence could make a lasting difference.

The Refugee Mentoring Program works to provide appropriate adults to help meet the specific needs of the individual youth. Mentors help youth adjust to a new culture in the United States as well as improve their personal social and independent living skills. Mentoring is a great opportunity to make a difference in the life of a refugee youth far from home while building new friendships in the process. 

Mentors Requirements and Expectations: 

Samaritas staff will introduce you to a refugee or refugee family, you will visit with them once a week for at least 3 months. During visits you can do many different things: help them practice English, teach them things and learn new things from them, assist them with sifting through mail to identify what they need to keep, play games, go for walks, or just have fun helping them get adjusted to living in a new place.

The "Transportation Crew" is a group made up of individual volunteers who transport refugee clients to medical appointments. A weekly list of appointments is sent out for the crew to sign up to transport clients to their appointments. Crew members assist clients with the check-in process, wait and transport the client home after the appointment.  

As one of the largest refugee resettlement agencies in the state, Samaritas has resettled thousands of people from dozens of countries in Europe, Asia, Africa, the Middle East and Central and South America. Samaritas has been the Michigan affiliate of Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service since the 1950s. To support New Americans with a monetary donation, visit https://www.samaritas.org/About-Samaritas/Donate. 

We want to make our clients as comfortable as possible when they arrive in Michigan, and that includes the kiddos! Several of our client are in need of a crib for their baby as they move into their permanent home, as well as any other baby items.

Cribs must be in like-new condition (no stains, dirt, scratches, etc.) and have ALL of the pieces for assembly.

 Other items we are looking for:

Please send a picture of used items to volunteer@samaritas.org for prior approval, or respond to this opportunity.

As one of the largest refugee resettlement agencies in the state, Samaritas has resettled thousands of people from dozens of countries in Europe, Asia, Africa, the Middle East and Central and South America. Samaritas has been the Michigan affiliate of Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service since the 1950s. To support New Americans with a monetary donation, visit https://www.samaritas.org/About-Samaritas/Donate.