Comment on How to Volunteer: The International Institute of Akron

How to Volunteer: The International Institute of Akron

It’s a busy but typical day at the International Institute of Akron, a federally appointed resettlement organization that helps refugees learn how to become American citizens.Upstairs, receptionist Sharon Irwin checks in clients with a broad range of problems, including a Congolese woman who needs help sorting her junk mail.Downstairs, Serbian-born Boris Udovicic organizes clothing donations, reminded of how his own family needed help after escaping the Balkan War nearly 20 years ago.In the education room, Leah Holden passes out coins to Bhutanese men and women who have come for “money class.”Irwin, Udovicic and Holden are all volunteers who share a passion for helping Akron’s newest residents navigate lives so dramatically different than the ones they left behind.Over the next few months, the Akron Beacon Journal is taking the mystery out of what it means to be a volunteer by offering a step-by-step guide on how to get involved with a Summit County institution.In previous stories, we explained how to volunteer with Junior Achievement, the Akron Zoo and the Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank.Today: How to volunteer at the International Institute of Akron.While there is temporarily a federal ban on new refugees, the work of the institute continues with the hundreds of families already here.

 

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