VOLUNTEER APPLICATION
OUR MISSION
To provide post acute holistic trauma support for asylum seekers, newly immigrated families and refugees throughout the United States and internationally. Our target service population includes, but not limited to, the most vulnerable & traumatized group, women & children. Men and LBGQTI are welcome!
Skills Needed:
Experienced Trauma Trained Licensed and Certified Holistic Health Practitioners, Counselors, Art, Music, Ability to Walk, Lift, Carry & Smile, Spanish, Good with Children, Childcare, Teaching, Fundraising, Program Promo, Graphic Design, Love, Communication, Flexibility is a Must.
DETAILS
In partnership with several volunteer organizations working in the Rio Grande Valley (RGV), Texas and Matamoros and Reynosa, Mexico and Malawi, Africa, Casa de Paz SLV provides holistic trauma support with seasonal service trips and online programs. We also invite asylum seeker and new immigrants to experience a trauma informed retreat on a ranch in Crestone, Colorado.
In response to the pandemic, we created an online program with a private facebook group called Sembrando Salud Mental and a YouTube channel, where volunteer practitioners share trauma informed self care practices. These online offerings are in Spanish and Bilingual, English and Spanish (ESL).
If you decide to join us as a Casa de Paz SLV service trip volunteer, you will be responsible for all your expenses and for getting to our service locations. Volunteers often share lodging and rides, but you may need to rent a car. If you are not able to join us on service trips, but want to help in other ways, you can apply to be a board member, to be a practitioner in Crestone, Colorado, Chicago, provide support chats, make mental health self care videos and to help with outreach, legal matters, grant writing and fundraising.
Casa de Paz SLV is looking for volunteers that can offer holistic trauma support like yoga, qigong, meditation, massage, counseling, reiki, art & music therapy. Experienced holistic health practitioners, musicians & artists are welcome. We also need translators for private sessions, assistants and childcare providers. Things are always changing in a refugee camp or border setting. Volunteers must be flexible and able to adjust to an ever changing environment, offering “pop up” services in streets, the shelters and centers. Set up, take down and transporting supplies to several different locations, in order to provide our services, is hard work. Please only apply if you are up for strenuous and tiring service. All ages need days off between service days and are usually very visibly tired by the end.
Basic Spanish fluency is a baseline requirement for any service that requires dialogue in Mexico. Now, we are also seeing Haitian refugees, so french can be helpful as well. In Africa, many speak English or Swahili. Massage therapists, reiki practitioners and similar modalities that do not require much language are welcome.
Volunteers have the option of helping with fundraising a few weeks before, during and after the service trip OR you can opt out and pay a $500 donation to help with admin costs and supplies.
We donate basic needs items, yoga mats, art supplies, instruments, teaching supplies, herbal remedies & aromatherapy oils, as well food. We also provide a postcard with links to our private facebook group and YouTube channel.
Commitment to your volunteer agreement is a baseline requirement, so we bond as a team and can be the most effective.
VOLUNTEER POLICIES & PROCEDURES
Volunteers play an integral role in meeting the Casa de Paz SLV mission. As a CdP SLV Volunteer, please take the time to familiarize yourself with the policies outlined below. These policies apply to all persons, whether they volunteer as individuals or as members of a group, regardless of length of time or frequency of volunteer activity.
Job Duties:
CdP SLV has a variety of opportunities among our diverse departments. Please be aware that your job duties may shift throughout your volunteer period, depending on the needs at any particular time. Your cooperation and assistance in performing such additional work is greatly appreciated.
Possible Job Duties May Include:
Carrying Supplies, Feeding Asylum Seekers, Assisting with a Class, Guiding a Class or Private Session, Walking a 2 miles round trip to cross the bridge to various volunteer locations, Setting up a our Mobile Pop Up Healing Center, Promoting Programs, Fundraising, Training & Guiding New Volunteers, Driving 45 min or more to various locations, Loading and unloading cars, Pulling full carts, Set up / take down, Childcare, Distributing remedies based on need, Delivering basic needs donations, Playing Soothing Background Music, Managing large groups, and more.
Policies & Procedures
In accord with CdP SLV’s mission statement, Volunteers must promote an environment of mutual respect with all staff, volunteers, and participants.
Volunteers must respect the privacy and confidentiality of any information that may be obtained while working within CdP SLV.
All relationships between volunteers and staff, other volunteers, and participants will be professional within the boundaries of the particular job or activity, including dress and language.
CdP SLV’s promotes an environment free of drugs and alcohol, sexual harassment, verbal and physical abuse, and violence.
Volunteers are trained for their specific tasks, duties and responsibilities, and will execute these tasks to the best of their abilities.
Volunteers will follow the directions of the supervisory staff.
The safety and health of each volunteer is of extreme importance to CdP SLV. You must report any injury and/or safety incident to your supervisor immediately, regardless of its apparent severity.
All photos & videos shared in social media or other forums must always include a Casa de Paz SLV Facebook page tag or Instagram account & list the website. Please only promote our partners if CdP SLV is mentioned and tagged. Thank you. A general rule of thumb is to not photograph faces & to hold the confidentiality of our clients & students.
Casa de Pas SLV has all rights to any photos taken during the mission. Casa de Paz SLV reserves the right to ask you to take photos off social media.
All volunteers must be well rested and in very good physical condition to serve, walk, carry and to withstand any viruses in the air and on supplies in all weather conditions. We use carts to carry supplies and lots of disinfectant, but some volunteers catch a virus on service trips. A cold or 24 hr. stomach bug.
Casa de Paz SLV follows CDC guidelines for covid 19. We highly recommend volunteers are vaccinated, as exposure is likely. Vaccinating is optional and up to your personal discresion. Masks are recommended and we will follow the mask protocol used at the various service locations.
Casa de Paz SLV strives to be an organization that promotes Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. In order to be inclusive, we ask all our volunteers and staff to use their chosen pronouns in written correspondences.
Once we review your application, we will follow up to schedule an interview.
Volunteers will be reviewed and accepted on a first come first serve basis. Casa de Paz SLV reserves the right to turn away any applicant.