Here are some current needs at JCIRA. Some are very straightforward, administrative tasks, and others will provide the opportunity to use or develop your leadership and creative skills. Whether you can commit to one specific task or take on a leadership role, we welcome your enthusiasm, help and ideas!
Come to our meetings!
Email us at jcirawa@gmail.com for the time and location of our monthly meetings!
Communication tasks:
Write for and/or coordinate sending out the monthly JCIRA newsletter. Write short articles or longer pieces for our website.
Help maintain our membership and community mailing lists.
Monitor certain immigration-related websites and share important news with our members, through the JCIRA website or newsletter.
Stay abreast of legislative changes and communicate the information to JCIRA.
Speak another language? Help with translation and outreach on an as-needed basis.
Help recruit and engage volunteers and members.
Outreach
Serve as a link and coordinate communications between JCIRA and any community organizations you are involved with – for example, Dove House, police, sheriff, Habitat for Humanity, political organizations, Olycap, ESL classes, Peninsula College, Jefferson County schools, health providers, lawyer associations, Elks, Kiwanis, Chamber of Commerce, congregations, etc.
Work with our Outreach Committee to develop, refine and give talks about immigration to community organizations, congregations and other groups. We have more requests than we can handle right now and there are many ways to help!
Action
With assistance from others, help plan demonstrations in support of immigrants.
monitor web-based petitions and provide them to members to sign.
Participate in and help coordinate visits to the NW Detention Center in Tacoma for our membership. At those visits, volunteers provide snacks, water and listening ears to family members visiting the Center. Volunteers get to see the impacts of our immigration policies up close.
Respond to ICE activity in Jefferson County by working with our Rapid Response Team. Ask for more info!
Become certified as an Authorized Representative to inform immigrants of their legal options and help them complete immigration applications and other paperwork.
If you’d like to find out more about any of these opportunities, please call Jean at 360-385-1105 or email jmwalat@gmail.com. Thanks!
If you have come here to help me, then you are wasting your time…But if you have come because your liberation is bound up with mine, then let us work together." – Lila Watson