Volunteers needed for the Family Navigation Program

The Family Navigation program is a service connecting our participants with the resources, support and tools they need to improve their basic needs and overall well-being to thrive in society. The sessions help participants apply for housing, find a job, food, transportation, childcare, schools, healthcare, immigration, etc. We are seeking dedicated volunteers to assist participants in accessing vital community resources and navigating complex systems with a minimum commitment of two to three months.

What will you do? You will provide crucial support by:

• Helping participants access necessary services and information like healthcare, childcare, schools, immigration, social assistance, and other community resources.
• Providing practical assistance where appropriate, such as helping with job and housing forms and connecting adult participants to transportation options.

Why volunteer with us?

• See firsthand how your support improves lives and strengthens our community.
• Gain valuable experience on advocacy, and navigating social systems.
• Work alongside dedicated staff and fellow volunteers who share your commitment to better our community.

A current volunteer and Literacy Minnesota Board Member, André Lambelet, shares his experience working in the program:

"I spend a few hours a week volunteering with Literacy Minnesota both as an English teacher and a job search coach. I love volunteering. I get to meet an astonishing range of interesting people from all over the world – Somalia, Ukraine, Myanmar, Japan, Ecuador, Mexico, Ethiopia – united by their desire to learn. As a volunteer teacher, I take pride in helping people develop the confidence to express themselves clearly and articulately, and am delighted to see their progress.

But for many of our students, learning English is, above all, a means to gain self-sufficiency and autonomy; in other words, it is a tool to help them find work. Most of our students don’t have the luxury of time; they need to find suitable paid employment as quickly as possible.

This is why Literacy Minnesota's job coaching program is essential. I spend a few hours a week working with students one-on-one, translating their work, volunteer, and life experience into effective résumés and job applications. Some of the students I’ve worked with believe that their experience in their home country – shopkeeping in Somalia, building roads in Guinea, working in a grocery store in Malaysia – won’t interest employers here, but working together, we figure out how to describe the work they did back home in a way that will make sense and appeal to Minnesota employers.

This work is immensely rewarding. I get to know the students and their life stories. They learn to present their experience so they can get a foothold in the job market. They begin to get the stability, pay, and, above all, autonomy they need to build a successful life here in Minnesota. And we, together, get to see results of our collaboration.

The Navigations program needs volunteers who can spare a few hours a week. You don’t need teaching experience – just patience, empathy, and the willingness to help people translate their experience for a brand new world. If you're interested in helping newcomers to Minnesota build better lives, I encourage you to put your experience to work with us."

Join the Family Navigation team as a volunteer! Contact Senior Manager, Family Literacy and Community Advocacy & Education Ebyan Abdulle at [email protected] to get involved.