Job Mentor; help refugees obtain their first employment in America

I have been volunteering as a Job Mentor at the International Rescue Committee (IRC) since last December (2010). As a job mentor, by far, I help new immigrants who were refugees from Thailand to find jobs in the United States, especially in the San Diego area. Within the first few weeks and months, I work closely with mentees on important tasks to get a job in America. Some of the skills I have taught are how to search for jobs online and/or in person, fill out applications online and/or print, do a follow up, and prepare for an interview. The last three months, I have been helping and providing assistance to four refugees from Burma (Myanmar). The first two Burmese, were a mother and a son. Although I was able to help the mother and son to achieve an employment, I am determined to find jobs for the newly arrived married couple who are eager to work hard for employment opportunities.

A few weeks ago, I met with Nee and Sem (made up names). They are in their mid 20s and have lived in America for about a month. Although I was surprised how thin they both are, I understand the malnourishment of refugee camps. Like my parents, Nee and Sem met in a refugee camp in Thailand. Similar to many Cambodian refugees I had interviewed, the couple has lived in Thai refugee camps for 14 years of their lives before they resettled in America. Nee arrived to the camp at age six and Sem at seven years old. The last camp they lived in is call Mae la oo in Thailand. In the camp, they received their high school diplomas. They shared with me that they learned Karen (native tongue), Burmese and Basic English along with math and science. (I am so pleased to have discovered that they had opportunities to learn while they were growing up in a refugee camp. Refugee camps today have changed and improved since I was in the camp.)

As a Job Mentor, I have to dig deep about their employment history. Although I am aware that most refugees do not work or have a job in a refugee camp, there are a few who do. I found out that both Nee and Sem worked in the camp. They were a caregiver and a youth mentor, respectively. Believe me when I say it was very hard working on their resume. I had to be creative when filling in the blanks on their resumes because their English is very limited and I do not speak Karen or Burmese. This was a challenge on both ends. It is not a surprise that there are limited IRC staff who speak the uncommon languages. I am sure within the next few years, they will have more Karen and Burmese translators. Just like any new immigrants, it is hard at first to adjust to the new country’s language and cultural barriers.

I was curious about the last camp they have lived. So I Googled “Mae la oo.” Just like that, the camp showed up. When I showed Nee and Sem the blog/website with pictures of the camp, their eyes lit up. They smiled and pointed to the screen and looked at me to make sure that I knew it was their home before America. The name of the blog is "In Burma." The blog is a great resource for me to better understand their life before arriving to San Diego, CA. I hope through learning about the camp and their background, I can better assist them in their new home in America and hopefully they both land a job soon before their terms end.

I was interested about what happens when refugees can’t find a job after their term has ended. I interviewed one of the IRC staff, Genevieve. She was happy to provide some answers. She mentioned that if they are not eligible for welfare (i.e. without children) and have not found a job at the end of their eight-month period, they would have no income. In other words, the cash aids that they received from the IRC to help them settle in America will expire. However, the IRC would continue to help them find jobs. Often what happens is those who did not find a job before their term is over, they end up depending on their family for support. In the worst case a few ended up on the street and were forced to be homeless. This is why it is very important for new immigrants to apply to as many jobs as quickly within their eight months term, so they have a better chance of obtaining a job at the end of their term.

If you are interested in becoming a volunteer and helping refugees search for jobs, and follow up on job leads, you can check the IRC website: www.rescue.org/sandiego for more detailed information.

Why do you want to volunteer?

I have always been asked the question, “Why do you want to volunteer?” My answer has always been the same. Strangers continued to be curious, “You don’t get pay. So what do you get out of it?”

From my first service experience with the Cambodian Association of America (CAA) in Long Beach, California to my international community development with the Peace Corps in Costa Rica, my humanitarian practice with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and today back to domestic service with the International Rescue Committee (IRC), I honestly realized that I am committed to volunteer service and I love it. Through these last ten years or so of volunteering experiences, I have gained new skills, knowledge, friendships, and patience. I honestly value the meaning of service and my life forever has changed.

Last Tuesday I attended the IRC workshop on “Refugee 101.” It was important information on the process of refugee status in the United States (U.S). The workshop was designed to help volunteers understand more about refugees’ experiences before arriving in the San Diego areas. Although I understood most of the information in regards to refugee status due to my personal experience as a former child refugee, things have changed in the last 20 years since I resettled in the U.S. Improved projects have been established to cater new refugee arrivals. New challenges are faced by former refugees’ communities due to policies changed, after the 9/11, which impacted their lives in the U.S.

I had the opportunity to meet the executive director of the IRC office in San Diego, Bob Montgomery, who later gave a presentation on the process of refugee status in the U.S. He has worked with the IRC for over 30 years since 1976 with the first flow of refugees to San Diego from Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos. Today, refugees from countries such as Somalia, Iraq and Myanmar are new additions to the San Diegan residents.

The highlights of the workshop for me, besides meeting the IRC staff and obtaining information on refugee status, were meeting other volunteers. It was so rich and delightful to learn about their volunteer experiences. Exchanging and sharing my volunteer experience has helped me understand why they decided to volunteer and the impact they have had made on refugees’ lives in San Diego. It makes me so happy to see and hear that others like myself are volunteering for the same reasons.

One of the volunteers asked me, “So what made you want to volunteer with the IRC?” Of course, I ended up giving them long answers. However, I tried to keep it short. I told that person, along with other interested volunteers, “I want to give back. I feel that I owe it to my family, myself, and many people who had made an impact on my life growing up. I am so blessed to be in a position to give back.”

I do hope this holiday you join me with other volunteers through giving back in your local community. It could be something as simple as just an hour a week with a non-profit or an organization (i.e. homeless shelter, youth program, or food drive) that you would love to give your skills into use and make a difference. Throughout my volunteering experience, I discovered that you do not have to be rich or have money to give back. I honestly have been volunteering for more than ten years now and have not earned an income yet, but I have a lot of time on my plate. This is my way of giving back and to spend time with those who truly need my help.

In the end, it is a great feeling for me knowing that I can make a difference in someone else’s life. If anything, I have learned a new culture and gained new friends in my new community!