Volunteer Opportunities with RSC Organizations

All of our member organizations have unique volunteer opportunities. Please contact the individual organizations for details.

Lakewood City Schools

Asian Services In Action, Inc. (ASIA)

ASIA is always seeking volunteers for our various departments. Volunteers are encouraged to email volunteer@asiaohio.org with their interests. We aim to empower and advocate for the Asian American & Pacific Islander (AAPI) community and provide AAPIs access to quality culturally, and linguistically appropriate information and services. Visit our site for details.

Cleveland: 3631 Perkins Ave, Ste 2AW, Cleve., OH 44114. Akron: 370 E. Market St, Akron, OH 44304

Building Hope in the City

Building Hope in the City (BHITC) seeks to: Advance the good of the city. Magnify the mission of Jesus. Unleash the capability of underestimated people. It is a faith-based community development and social enterprise agency that partners across faith, public and business sectors to pilot new approaches to building the capacity of underserved communities. In 2022, the agency served 3,300+ individuals. BHITC’s The Hope Center for Refugees and Immigrants is a community drop-in and services center for refugees, migrants and international newcomers. The Hope Center provides ESL and Adult Basic Education classes, access to affordable immigration counsel and citizenship preparation processes, as well as employment and youth programs.

BHITC is currently looking for volunteers to assist in the following areas: Mentors, English classes, Citizenship prep courses, Tutoring and literacy ministries, Care groups. Visit our site for details.

Cleveland Heights-University Heights City School District

Our school district welcomes volunteers who are willing to donate their time and talent in the support of helping our students to reach their individual educational goals. Volunteers can serve in a variety of ways, from assisting classroom teachers in the classroom to helping families participate more fully in school-sponsored events, to assisting to increase participation in extra-curricular activities. Interested persons will be directed to our Human Resources Department located at the Board of Education office on Miramar Boulevard in University Heights.

2155 Miramar Boulevard, University Heights, Ohio 44118

Those interested in volunteering for the school district can schedule an appointment with Kim Ehrlich who coordinates background checks on Tuesdays and Thursdays: Kim Ehrlich- K_Ehrlich@chuh.org, Human Resources Department, Cleveland Heights-University Heights City School District. For general questions about volunteering opportunities, visit the Reaching Heights page.

Tri-C Aspire

The Cuyahoga Community College Adult Options Program provides free basic education and certificate training to help students learn skills to be successful with their community, family, job, training, or college goals. Our classes are designed to: improve math, reading and writing skills, help high school graduates who need to improve skills for a job or college, assist with high school equivalency (HSE) preparation, improve English skills for English Language Learners (ELL), and transition students into a job, training or college program at Tri-C.

The Tri-C Adult Options Program is currently looking for volunteers to assist in the following areas: Adult Literacy/HSE tutors, ESOL tutors and mentors, Citizenship prep course tutors, Office volunteers, and Special project volunteers. View site for more details.

2415 Woodland Ave. Cleveland, Ohio 44115  (Tri-C has over 40 satellite sites and 4 campus sites throughout Cuyahoga County that need volunteers.)

Volunteer Coordinator:  Tess Yurik for refugee volunteer inquiries: teresa.yurik@tri-c.edu

Global Cleveland

Global Cleveland is a non-profit organization founded in 2011 to help strengthen our region by welcoming the world. We work with newcomers to Northeast Ohio which include immigrant and non-immigrant visa holders, legal permanent residents, temporary residents, international students, refugees, and asylees, naturalized citizens, businesses who want to work in NEO, and international partners through advocacy, business and economic development, and civic engagement. Global Cleveland’s volunteers are needed on a rolling basis and include mentorship opportunities, community support roles, and language access assistance. See our site for more information: https://globalcleeland.org/volunteer/

Migration and Refugee Services

Migration and Refugee Services (MRS) offers a variety of meaningful opportunities to volunteer with Cleveland’s growing refugee community.  As the largest resettlement office in the region, MRS welcomes and serves more than 300 refugees each year.  Volunteers can make a difference in the lives of newly arrived refugees as a mentor, teacher, or tutor.

MRS now has digital initiatives in order to connect resettled refugees with community members in a safe and socially distanced capacity. Please contact us for more information on how you can get involved: Visit our site for details.

MRS is currently looking for volunteers to assist in the following areas: Refugee Mentors, Tutors, English conversation partners – all via Zoom or other video-conferencing applications.

Saint Augustine Towers, First Floor 7800 Detroit Ave. Cleveland, Ohio 44102

For more information, please contact Andrew at 216.939.3759 or ammathay@ccdocle.org

Neighborhood Family Practice

Email Megan Meister, Director of Community Engagement, for more information.

The Refugee Response

U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants

Established in 1916, the International Services Center has served refugees and immigrants for 100 years.  This year the agency joined USCRI as a field office to continue our important work.  The International Services Center is now known as USCRI-Cleveland.  In the neighborhoods across Cleveland, Ohio, we open doors for uprooted people, helping the world’s most vulnerable rebuild their lives. We are part of a nationwide network that breaks through social, cultural, and economic barriers so previously interrupted lives can flourish. The first welcome begins with navigating American culture, laying solid foundations for a fresh start, and making essential community connections to successfully integrate into our community.

Learn more about the empowered survivors living in your community.

USCRI-Cleveland is currently looking for volunteers to assist in the following areas: Mentor new families, Housing set up for new refugee families, transportation, ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) tutoring, legal

2103 Clark Avenue, Cleveland, Ohio 44109

Volunteer opportunities are possible. Contact gball@uscrimail.org

Us Together Inc.

US Together (UST) is a mutual assistance agency, which means it was started and is still run by former refugees.  The agency’s founders have worked with immigrant and refugee populations since 1988. As UST strives to expand the services it provides, the organization continues to be a stellar example of refugees serving refugees. Committed to providing culturally and linguistically appropriate services, UST has a diverse, multi-lingual staff representing over 12 countries and more than 52 languages. With 3 offices, UST is able to help over 600 refugees establish their new lives in America each year.

US Together is currently looking for volunteers to assist in the following areas: English as a Second Language (ESL), Citizenship classes, Matching Grant: Employment Services, Case Management Aid, Financial Literacy, Family Strengthening, Fundraising, Social Media, Single Women & Mothers Fund, Internship Opportunities, Mentoring a refugee or refugee family.  Visit this page for details

2800 Euclid Ave., Suite 200, Cleveland, OH 44115

Volunteer Coordinators: Graham Inglis and Lee Columber II – click here  to register to volunteer