We Have Grown

Asha’s Refuge will continue the normal areas of refugee services that we offer and also expand our areas of service as we have been blessed to share building space with Hope Apostolic Church at 5645 Spring Lake Road in Memphis, TN  38135.  Since our move, we have added the additional Tuesday of class, Wednesday and Friday day for family services in our resource center and also periodic Saturday computer, life or job skills classes.  We are closer to several Syrian refugee apartments and have had several recent visits from new clients that are asking for our help.

We are seeing more clients who face a variety of challenging life situations and have had a need to move into the low income apartments where we offer transportation to and from American Life and Language Classes.  Our Wednesday and Friday Resource Center Day is a day where most all of our Family Services are provided.  We need office volunteers to help us with a variety of jobs on these days.  We need additional family advocates willing to work in and out of homes and/or traveling with clients to help us provide family services.

Some of Our Partners/Supporters and Community Connections

We are working with Catholic Charities Immigration Services and a Medical Civil Surgeon as a team to help refugees collect the necessary information that will allow their immigration documentation to be processed with hopefully less confusion and less cost.  We are also working with Catholic Charities to encourage clients to stay on a path to obtain their naturalized citizenship which involves Citizenship Classes.

The Memphis Library 211-Linc has Asha’s Refuge listed as a resource for Memphis area refugees to obtain assistance.

Asha’s Refuge is working in collaboration with The Morning Center to assist several new mothers with receiving the prenatal care that they need.  The number of families we serve always increases the number of newborn babies that we will also serve.  Asha’s Refuge is continuing conversations with Porter-Leath to offer birth to three year old in home learning and support to mothers in collaboration with our volunteers.

Various departments at The University of Memphis are working in collaboration with Asha’s Refuge to offer training, research, support and internship programs.  Asha’s Refuge will continue working with other local college internship programs such as Bethel University, Rhodes College and Union University as the opportunity arises.

Bellevue Memphis tag teamed with Clemson University students to connect to Asha’s Refuge eager to serve.  Bellevue will continue their small group connections and projects with us to host picnic style fun days at the various apartment locations we have clients at.  Clemson University will work with us in March to add additional playground equipment to our playground and prepare the ground so that it is a little more playground friendly for our preschoolers.  World Day of Prayer approved us for a grant to assist with the cost to improve our playground.

Speaking of preschoolers, the Asha’s Refuge Kindergarten Readiness program is growing.  We max out at about 12 preschoolers keeping our drop-in center a program that we feel like we can teach and manage well.  Additional preschoolers will come as new families enroll for services at Asha’s Refuge.  Asha’s Refuge also now provides childcare for a small number of infants/toddlers (8 weeks to under 3 years old).  We will need childcare workers to volunteer to rock and care for these sweet babies while their mother (grandparent or aunt/uncle) is attending adult language classes.

Asha’s Refuge now has a new donations coordinator, Jenny McFarland.  She has jumped right in to help us connect to our community to find and fill the donation needs we have.  We are currently seeking organizations to partner with to help handle furniture, household and clothing donations.  The partnership will involve Asha’s Refuge volunteers to help Jenny in the donation department.  Our storage room rotates with the various items we would typically need for the clients we serve.  The consistent rotating donations will require a team of dedicated people to help Jenny to serve our clients.

The three High Point Church locations are eager to get more involved with local refugees.  Their Crew Youth Program has committed to serve with us regularly in the upcoming 2018 year.  Asha’s Refuge Next Generation has tripled in size since it began offering additional services to teens and college age students such as peer to peer tutoring, ACT prep, mentoring, group volunteer programs and activities that help raise cultural awareness and build healthy cross cultural relationships.  First Baptist Church Collierville Youth Group and Collierville High School Asha’s Next Generation Club has been strongly serving with us to help build our Asha’s Next Generation program.

Urbin Ministries, Methodist Churches, have agreed to continue to support Asha’s Refuge.  Pastor Smith will be a good person for us to learn from and we are looking forward to what is to come with this newer relationship.

Hope Apostolic Church has agreed to hold on to various thrift sale items for Asha’s Refuge to have a sale in February/March of 2018.  Asha’s Refuge has a need for volunteers to help bring in items to sale so that this fundraising even is successful.  We also have a need for volunteers to help coordinate this sale and move out the items that are not sold or able to be used by our clients.

United Methodist Church in Bartlett provided us with a lot of volunteer assistance and a platform to raise awareness through hosting the Night of Hope Events in 2017.  The church and its leadership team is eager to build upon our relationship in order to continue serving and assisting local refugee clients.  They have a team of vocalist and musicians who also plan to continue serving with Asha’s Refuge in 2018.  They will help us kick off the new year participating in The Just Love Dinner and Auction which will be Friday, March 2, 2018 at 5:30 pm.  High Point Church Collierville agreed to host this event and has a large team of dedicated individuals who are eager to volunteer.  We will need even more volunteers and auction items to make this event a success.

Cornerstone Transportation’s Mr. Rick Rodell, Mr. David and Jan Lewis and Seeds Ministries provided Asha’s Refuge with office computers, WiFi internet connections and a ten person computer lab. Asha’s Refuge has plans to increase the number of basic computer training classes we offer.  We also plan to hold drivers education classes, teen/college more advanced computer classes, and job coaching skills classes utilizing the computer lab room even more.

Asha’s Refuge is in connection with Crosslink Memphis and is hopeful to begin working on a plan alongside of volunteer doctors and nurses where we can offer some basic free non-emergency medical care to our clients.

WiseHeart Foundation has been working with Asha’s Refuge for some time now offering mentorship to our directors and some financial support.  They have recently agreed to help provide additional vans to help transport clients to and from the various services we offer.  Asha’s Refuge will continue working with dedicated volunteer drivers.

Asha’s Refuge is partnering with various individuals in the community to help better provide translation services.  Our clients speak a variety of languages which will require our organization to find like-minded translators willing to volunteer their time to help.  In addition, we are researching new translation technology in hopes that it will help keep down the cost of phone translation services which many of our partner organizations have to pay for in order to help serve our clients with us.

Hope for Memphis recently approved a grant partially for Asha’s Refuge to help us with training and building an even better volunteer program.  This grant approval could not have come to us at a better time, as Asha’s Refuge is growing quickly and we need volunteers willing and trained to serve whole heartedly in various roles.  Volunteer Odyssey has been meeting with our volunteer coordinator and staff inquiring on ways that they too can work with us to help fulfill our upcoming volunteer needs.

As Asha’s Refuge continues to grow, building good community, volunteer and donor relationships will be important to the life and success of the organization. More and more we are being asked to speak at various elementary schools, colleges, businesses, churches and community organizations.  Our involvement with the CFC also allows us to have more speaking opportunities.  We are excited about having our part in educating and helping to raise awareness about local refugees, cultural sensitivity and diversity.

What’s The Plan for Volunteers?

Asha’s Refuge anticipates an increase in the number of clients we serve in the upcoming year.  With the additional services being offered and number of days we are open for services, we will need a large group of dedicated and motivated individuals to help.  Volunteer training will be something that will offer our volunteers even more confidence as they compassionately seek to assist local refugees.  The recent and future growth of the organization is exciting.  We are working on a system that will give volunteers opportunities to serve in various departments within the organization.  Another words, if you come each Tuesday and help us by sweeping floors, perhaps you are tired of  that and want to occasionally try something different.  Once you are trained in the other departments of which you choose to be trained in, you will be given the opportunity to choose from a calendar that shows the open jobs which we have a need to fill.  If you are trained in that area of need and you have heart to love like Jesus, then you are qualified and needed!  All you would have to do is select that particular date and assignment and show up to serve with us. The system will also allow volunteers to pick up extra days to serve when they have time or trade them with a trained friend who volunteers at Asha’s Refuge if they are going to be unavailable. Imagine, a volunteer could potentially come in one week to assist a teacher and the next week to help organize a fundraising event and then the next week to take someone to the doctor.  Another volunteer might choose to come in two times in one week and both days doing something completely different.  If you are the type volunteer that wants to do the same thing every time you work with us, that is okay too!

What Departments Can I Volunteer In Once I am Trained?

Family Advocate Services (could be trained in one or more of the following areas):

• Helps with things like completing benefits applications for food or health insurance
• Helps with housing assistance – completes applications, looks for rental homes
• Helps with Immigration Paperwork and Processing
• Helps Client at the doctor – takes them to and from the doctor
• takes client to the pharmacy
• helps with basic medical insurance understanding at the doctor/pharmacy
• Schedules appointments with Client (doctor, dentist, social worker or other appointments as needed)
• Helps clients sort out and organize their mail and understand letters/bills
• helps client re-apply for soon to expire or lost identification cards

Prenatal Care / Newborn Baby and New Mom Helpers (could be trained in one or more of the following areas):

• Helps to coordinate prenatal doctor care for mom to be
• helps to coordinate newborn baby care – immunization appointments, WIC, etc.
• teaches/coaches and mentors mothers about American Life Skills focusing on well baby and mom care
• prepares expectant mom with what to expect at the hospital – baby delivery (works with local hospitals)
• takes expectant mother to regular doctor appointments

Office Helpers

• Assist directors or directors assistant as needed
• helps coordinate upcoming events
• takes attendance
• client intake and enrollment
• makes copies of various documents for teachers and staff
• inputs data into spreadsheets
• types correspondence (for clients or director as needed)
• makes flyers
• runs local errands
• helps to welcome and show appreciation to volunteers
• answers the telephone
• scans documents/sends email/faxes
• assist clients with making appointments for family services
• works with translator as needed
• updates organizational calendars
• needs to be proficient with Microsoft Office Suite
• help with newsletters and marketing
• send thank you letters / help with donor relations

Immigration Client Services – Nurse or Medical Office Experience Helpful / Availability Wednesday and Fridays

• assist medical civil surgeon
• enters immunizations into adobe file (must be proficient with Adobe and Microsoft Office Suite)
• uses copier to copy various files
• may make phone calls to Health Department or Family Doctors as Requested
• works with clients to organize required documentation
• works with various translators as needed
• completes immigration applications (we will train)
• continues to build working relationship with Catholic Charities Immigration Services

Donations Department

• Does family assessment for a family in need
• Organizes and Searches for various items within the community that are needed
• documents in-kind donations
• thanks donors; builds donor relationships
• uses social media to raise awareness about various needs
• helps to disperse donated items
• trains new volunteers about our donations practices

Job Coaching and Job Skills Department

• Teaches clients a job skill (perhaps you have a job skill you could teach that would benefit our clients)
• Coaches Clients with applying for jobs (writing a resume, filling out applications, learning how to dress for the job, communicating well with employers, showing up on time, understanding pay need vs their qualifications and pay rate, speaking clearly, understanding employee insurance benefits, etc.)
• Works with employers/staffing agencies / builds employer relationships
• Searches for jobs for clients and works with employers/clients through the application process
• helps clients to set up email for job needs
• helps clients with applying for jobs when applications are online
• develops training workshops for men (automobile maintenance, basic home repair, construction, landscape, agriculture, etc.)
• develops training workshops for women (partners with Piece of Thread/sewing, gardening, cleaning, cooking, etc.)
• prepare/set up drivers education training workshops

American Life Skills Coaches (often life skills teachers)

• May help client understand basic math skills and assist with understanding paychecks, medical bills, phone bills, utility bills, rent, etc.
• May assist client with understanding mail and how to mail a letter/payment
• helps client to understand the calendar and how to be one time for important appointments
• helps clients to understand good apartment living habits
• teaches clients about healthy habits (brushing teeth, showering daily, wearing deodorant, etc.)
• assist clients with typical life problems (lost apartment key, moving and needs to tell current apartment leasing agency, needs to call maintenance at apartment, needs to talk to school for child, etc.)

Grocery Shoppers

• takes client to the grocery store and teaches clients about Kroger card, coupons, expiration dates and self check out area
• may grocery shop for elderly or sick client in need
• may assist donation department or directors with getting groceries for a family in need
• develops relationship with community grocery stores

IT/Basic Computer Skills Department

• Works with IT Department as Needed
• Helps teach Basic Computer Skills to Clients (email, internet research, applying for jobs online, etc.)
• Cleans donated computers to make ready for client use
• Trains volunteer staff and problem solves with them

Kindergarten Readiness Assistant Teachers (Tuesday and Thursday Mornings)

• Works with Lead Teachers to provide quality care and teaching to refugee preschoolers

Infant/Toddler Childcare (Tuesday and Thursday Mornings)

• Helps to provide quality care and teaching to refugee infants and toddlers

American Life and Language Class Teachers & Assistants (Tuesday and Thursday Mornings)

• May lead or assist with teaching American Life Skills and English Language Classes following our Tennessee Handbook for ESOL Teaching Guidelines or Current Methods of ESL Training which will be provided by Asha’s Refuge
• Helps to develop the curriculum for clients as needed; teaches lessons that are practical for adult learning
• Attends ESL/ESOL training classes and meetings
• Develops client trust and caring relationships
• Assist clients with connecting to Asha’s Refuge office in order to make various appointments for family service needs

Class Day and Resource Center Managers

• Manages all departments, volunteers and client happenings on class days and/or Resource Center Days
• Handles visitor relations and visitor tours
• Works with directors and director assistants
• Problem solves with volunteers and clients
• Works with translator as needed
• Ensures class and resource days are staffed with volunteers
• Ensures drivers are coordinated for pick up
• Makes phone callas to or Writes email correspondence to partner organizations
• Works with office staff
• Helps coordinate volunteers to help maintain and clean building

Drivers – Transportation Coordinators

• Helps to coordinate transportation for clients
• Drives clients to and from classes
• May drive clients to and from the doctor or to other places as needed
• May run errands or drive for directors as requested
• helps to keep organization vehicles cleaned, maintained and mechanically sound
• may take vehicle in to auto shop for service
• helps to teach clients to ensure that all children are in booster/car safety seat
• helps to teach clients to ride safe seated with their seatbelts fastened
• must pass a background check, be dependable, have auto insurance, a current TN license and have a good driving record

Marketing / Social Media / Newsletters /Website /Videography

• Initiates and plans regular and good marketing tactics
• Helps to update social media outlets with directors
• Works with various departments to obtain updated organizational information necessary for successful marketing
• May work with college interns
• Regularly Updates brochures and website information with 517 Designs
• Works with IT Department
• Updates, designs and regularly sends out various e-newsletters and e-flyers
• Works with videographers to develop a collection of up to date organizational videos
• Updates social media outlets keeping it current and on the cutting edge
• works with Constant Contact and various other media outlets
• Writes content
• Proof reads and Edits content

Creative Writer, Scrapbooker and Photographer

• Writes various creative content including client stories, volunteer stories and organizational news
• Proofreads and edits written content
• Develops unique scrapbooks
• Takes photos of organizational events, volunteer staff and client interactions
• Develops creative ways to thank donors and volunteers
• Keeps up to date client media/photo release forms
• Creates small photo-book for client gift to celebrate life happenings with them (newborn babies, graduations, etc.)
• May attends various client and organizational events in order to write and photo them
• assists marketing team and provides written content for them

Asha’s Next Generation Volunteer Team

• Mentors and Works with suburban and refugee teens/college age students
• Assists with American Life and Language Skills, various school subject tutoring, Hi-Set Testing, college preparedness and job skills
• Works with Next Gen Team to coordinate and plan events and fundraisers
• Helps coordinate volunteers for Next Gen
• Helps with drivers education
• May help High school graduates apply for colleges and school financial aid
• Helps young adults in need of further education and job skills enroll into Job Corps program
• Helps coordinate and provide transportation for Next Gen

Event Coordinators

• Help to develop fundraisers and events
• Help to create marketing material/flyers for event
• Raise awareness about event
• pull together volunteers for event assignments
• connect to community, organizations and businesses regarding the event
• develop donor relations
• organize event
• make phone calls/send emails about the event
• work with finance team regarding ticketing/pricing and fundraising goals
• work with directors and staff regarding the event
• run event errands
• help to clean up after event (arrange for help)
• work with donations department to solicit donations
• plans/hosts event preparation and follow-up meetings with event volunteers
• sends thank you’ s after event
• Keeps up to date event spreadsheets
• uses creativity to keep event exciting to outsiders
• uses social media to advertise for the event

Bring Your Lunch / Volunteer Training Workshop Day

Mark your calendar for our upcoming volunteer training day so that we can tell you more.  Bare with us as we set up our new volunteer system, calendar and provide training.  Your prayers are always appreciated.  We are working hard to ensure that our clients are well taken care of and we know that we have been blessed with a wonderful group of volunteers to help make it all happen successfully.  We will meet at our 5645 Spring Lake address at 9:30 am to 1:30 pm, Thursday, January 4th, 2018.  Be sure to bring your lunch!  Please contact deborah@ashasrefuge.org if you have any questions.  We are pleading with all of our volunteers to please kindly make arrangements to attend this Training Day.