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MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN DC WORK AT MARY HOUSE
As a Notre Dame-AmeriCorps Member
Requirements: minimum age 21 college degree 40 hour work week 11 month commitment September 2007 August 2008 work with immigrant families teach in an afterschool program.
Benefits: housing stipend of 11, 000 basic health insurance
Information: call Marie at 301-320-4977 or e-mail
washington_dc@ndmva.org
Check out our website at
www.ndmva.org
One volunteers story
After spending my first Americorps year teaching English to adult immigrants and working in a Spanish Early Childhood Education program in Denver, I decided to further my experience with immigrant families by doing another Americorps year at Mary House in Washington, D.C. During my year at Mary House, I met, helped and learned from some of the most wonderful families I've ever met. There are families that need the guidance of a case manager but also the encouragement of a friend. The Americorps Family Advocates at Mary House are both to these families. While carrying a caseload of six immigrant and refugee families, I also worked in the afterschool program and the Mother to Mother program. For the afterschool program, we pick up pre-K through 6th grade students from a local elementary school and walk with them back to Mary House. There we help them with their homework and then provide them with other educational and recreational activities. Coordinating the afterschool program involves not only spending time with the kids, but also recruiting, training and retaining volunteers that provide individual attention to the children. The little kids I worked with in the after school program were sweet and loving as well as mischievous and stubborn. They welcome the volunteers with open arms. The Mother-to-Mother program provides a safe space for moms to connect and problem solve. Every other month, the moms meet together to decide what will go in the Mother-to-Mother Newsletter. Both the mothers and me write articles that go out to the families as informational support. If you want to learn more about working with immigrant and refugee families in a small non-profit, this Americorps opportunity gives you the chance.
- Barbara Warner
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