Human Services & Interpreting Volunteer

Name of agency and statement of purpose:  The Karen Organization of Minnesota’s (KOM) mission is to build on the strengths of refugee and immigrant communities and remove barriers to achieving economic, social, and cultural wellbeing.

Title: Human Services & Interpreting Volunteer

Purpose/objective: Our direct service staff provide walk-in services to the community to address immediate needs. The human services volunteer will work primarily in support of our walk-in services as an interpreter between KOM staff who do not speak Karen and Karen-speaking clients. Over the course of the volunteer term, the volunteer may serve clients directly with supervision from full-time KOM staff.

Key Responsibilities:

Shadow KOM direct service staff in the following activities…

• Provide interpreting assistance for staff and clients during walk-in hours at KOM’s office.
• Address client needs during walk-in hours, including completing paperwork and contacting other agencies for referrals and follow-up for basic needs.
• Maintain confidentiality of client data while documenting case notes and records in secure online databases.

Time commitment: Available at least one day per week for 2-4 hours during KOM walk-in hours (Walk-in hours are Monday and Thursday 9:00am-12:00pm and 12:30pm-3:30pm)

Location: KOM Office, 2353 Rice Street, Suite 240, Roseville, MN 55113

Qualifications: Volunteers must be age 18 or older. Experience helping friends or family make phone calls, fill out paperwork, interpreting for parent-teacher conferences, or other informal assistance. Ability to speak, read, and write fluently in English, and Sgaw Karen. Additional language abilities (Pwo Karen, Karenni, Burmese, Mon, Thai) are a plus. Currently studying sociology or human services is a plus.

Benefits: This position offers an excellent opportunity to learn about refugee resettlement issues and the broad network of services available to refugees and immigrants in Minnesota. The human services volunteer will gain experience in case management, interpreting/translating, being in an office setting, and client advocacy while helping refugees from Burma access resources to meet their needs and become independent.

How to apply/contact: Please complete KOM’s Volunteer Application online or contact Suzanne Olive to receive a paper application. Volunteers will attend a meeting to discuss their interest in being a human services volunteer, attend orientation, and be subject to a background check.