Office Support Volunteer Program
MCRS is the only organization in the Waterloo Region that provides support to refugee claimants with the refugee claim process. At the office, refugee claimants are guided through the refugee determination process and receive help settling into the community. The MCRS Support Worker provides families initial orientation and emotional support, and office volunteers (recruited and trained by the Volunteer Coordinator) provide the families with any necessary assistance.
For the refugee claim process, this support includes: orientation, help with filling out forms and photocopying documents, translation and interpretation services, contacting Citizenship and Immigration Canada, the Immigration and Refugee Board, lawyers, and Legal Aid.
Settlement support includes: help with accessing Social Assistance, ESL schools, shelters, food hampers, medical and counseling services, and orientation of other community resources.
Highlights
- Office Support volunteers provided on average 60 hours of support per month to refugee claimants in the MCRS office in 2011.
- Office Support volunteers provided over 1000 pages of translations for refugee claimants' hearings in 2011.
- Office Support volunteers helped refugee claimants to complete application forms, send faxes, and ensure that the needs of refugee claimants at MCRS were met.
Find out more about volunteering with the Office Support Volunteer Program at MCRS!
