CASP’s mission is to cultivate a supportive community for those seeking asylum in the U.S., while offering basic needs and accompanying them on their journey towards building a life in this country.
Volunteers are the core of that supportive community. We hope that each interaction with a volunteer is a welcoming, healthy, and successful experience for the asylum seekers we offer support to.
Over 200 dedicated volunteers help CASP provide a safe and positive life for children and families who have experienced unimaginable suffering and upheaval.
Volunteers offer essential services and companionship, from rides and English conversation to serving as interpreters to helping them get settled in new homes and jobs.
When a family or individual first arrives, a team of volunteers is established to offer support through transportation, orientation, and friendship. This team is coordinated by a CASP staff member so all volunteers feel comfortable and ready to work with an asylum-seeking family. For volunteers who are less available for a team structure, there are opportunities to offer time in other ways to ensure needs are being met.
Accompanying asylum seekers takes many shapes…
When a family or individual first arrives, a team of volunteers is established to offer support through transportation, orientation, and friendship. This team is coordinated by a CASP staff member that provides mentorship, training, and resources so all volunteers feel comfortable and ready to work with an asylum-seeking family. For volunteers who are less available for a team structure, there are opportunities to offer time in other ways to ensure needs are being met.
Whether you are looking to be a part of a team or volunteer individually, review our sign-up form and see if there are skills, services, and activities that align with your interests or experience. You are also welcome to propose volunteer roles and services if you don’t see them listed. Once you complete the form, click the “SUBMIT” button at the bottom of the page, and you will then be guided through the rest of the sign-up process.
After submitting the sign-up form you will need to complete the remaining steps:
- Read and sign off on the Volunteer Guide.
- Read about requirements for working in person with guests.
Note: to be covered by CASP’s insurance policy for volunteers, you need to complete all the steps in this process.
The first step is finding a host home…
Perhaps you have some extra space at home and have been thinking about what you can do to support asylum seekers. Hosting is one of the best ways to engage with our work. You probably have questions about how this works, so we interviewed a two-time host for CASP and asked about his reflections and tips for prospective hosts.
Check out the interview below! And please fill out this form if you’d like to open up your home to asylum-seekers.
Other things...
Keep track of your hours. Please help us in our grant-seeking efforts by keeping track of your volunteer hours and mileage. You can create your own log sheet or download this convenient form. Please send your hours directly to volunteering@caspvt.org , our volunteer tracker might contact you to get those hours from you as well.
And if you’re one of the amazing people wanting to get the word out about CASP and are involved in public outreach for CASP, please familiarize yourself with what we do at CASP and the people we serve.
Suggested Readings & Videos
To learn more about our work, why we do it, and how we do it look through our volunteer resource guide. There you will find many readings, videos, and resources to guide your learning and volunteering experience.
All of the online trainings we have offered can be found on our community education page.
We also host study groups each spring so join our newsletter to keep an eye out for this year’s!
Hosting an Asylum Seeker with CASP
Have questions or updates?
If you have questions about volunteering or would like to update your sign-up form, write to volunteering@caspvt.org.
From Our Volunteers
We got involved with CASP when a neighbor went door-to-door, recruiting the neighborhood to support a family of asylum seekers. As a family with young children, we don’t have a lot of extra money or a lot of extra time, but we did have a guest room in our house and decided we could offer that room to a family. Our asylum-seeking guests have been wonderful, easy housemates, and their presence has enriched our lives in countless ways."
"Volunteering for CASP gives me the opportunity to be directly involved with welcoming asylum seekers and helping them settle into our community. My experiences with CASP's guests have been interesting, stimulating, educational, and challenging. And fun! I have met many good and generous people as a CASP volunteer, and it is an honor to be among them. I am grateful to CASP for the work it does to bring asylum seekers to us - thank you Steve, CASP, and our asylum seekers for giving me a chance to make a difference!"
"I've found a variety of ways to contribute to CASP: transporting a newly-arrived asylum seeker to English classes, tutoring her in basic math skills, and taking her family for a picnic and swim outing. I also help with fundraising and outreach efforts. Whether I'm stuffing envelopes, baking cookies, or speaking on behalf of CASP at public events, I gain as much as I give by being part of this community."
"As someone who has lived and traveled to multiple Latin American countries and spent my career as a teacher of Spanish language and culture, volunteering for CASP has provided me an inspiring outlet for my skills in service to the courageous men and women who hope to one day make the USA their home."
"I volunteer for CASP because I am aware of all the pressures facing asylum seekers, and CASP is a very real way of affecting their lives for the better."