Many of you advocate in your communities for good policies that improve the lives of our immigrant and refugee families, friends and neighbors. There are also great ways you can support Utah’s refugee and immigrant communities through volunteer work and/or donations. The holidays are a great time to give your time, energy and contributions to help others. We’ve compiled this list to help you select a good organization to support in any way you can.
National organizations in the Salt Lake Area
These organizations have been doing the hard work of organizing and litigating to fight anti-immigrant policies and promote opportunities for all. Please check them out to see the many ways to volunteer!
- AAU Refugee and Immigrant Center is looking for volunteers to assist with mentoring, ESL tutoring, childcare, afterschool homework help, and general office support.
- Catholic Community Services of Utah Refugee Resettlement offers opportunities to mentor and support recently arrived refugees.
- Comunidades Unidas/Communities United is looking for Spanish-speaking volunteers to fill intake paperwork for their rapid response team.
- English Skills Learning Center is always looking for volunteers to teach English as a second language to refugees and immigrants, and offers training to volunteers throughout the year. The next is in January.
- Granite School District Community Center Childcare Helpers – Granite School District has the highest number of refugee children, and the Community Centers need assistance with childcare while they offer english and job training classes to parents.
- International Rescue Committee – SLC has lots of opportunities, ranging from tax-preparation help to civics and citizenship test tutors.
- SLC Sanctuary Solidarity Network is looking for volunteers who are able to serve shifts in area churches hosting families threatened with deportation.
Local organizations
There are also plenty of good local organizations that need financial support to keep doing their great work to support immigrants and refugees in Utah. Follow these links to learn more and to donate.
University of Utah Dream Center, where you can donate to Dreamer Support Fund
National organizations
And there are many national organizations doing great work, here are just a few that we are familiar with at Action Utah.
- United We Dream has been on the front lines of organizing–first to instute DACA in 2012– and now to push for passage of the Dream Act before the end of the year.
- National Immigration Law Center works on legal, policy, and communications issues to defend low-income immigrants, and has been at the forefront of standing up to the administration’s anti-immigrant policies.
- International Refugee Assistance Project works to get visas for refugees and then to resettle in the US and Canada. This group organized lawyers to go to the airports last January to assist with immigrants in detention. In addition to donations, they are looking for lawyers and law students to assist with visa applications for refugees.
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