JCRC’s Project Paperwork matches volunteers with clients who need help filling out online applications for the Food Assistance Program FAP), State Emergency Relief, and children’s health insurance such as MiChild and Healthy Kids. Volunteer opportunities are now available with Accounting Aid Society, Matrix Human Services, and South Oakland Shelter!

New Volunteering Opportunity

JCRCl is partnering with Justice For Our Neighbors (JFON) to send volunteers to JFON’s monthly community clinics that provide immigrants with legal services.  JFON is a faith-driven ministry that welcomes immigrants into local churches and communities by providing free high-quality immigration legal services, education, and advocacy.  The JFON program is open to people of all faiths and creeds.  One of the main components of JFON’s program is monthly community clinics, during which JFON staff and volunteers meet with about 4-6 new clients in need of free legal immigration services.  Project Paperwork volunteers will be assisting with the Pontiac clinic, housed in the Baldwin Center, which will typically occur on the third Friday of every month beginning in January 2012.

During the clinic, volunteers assist with hospitality, intakes, and interpretations.  Intake volunteers will meet with clients prior to their free consultation with the immigration attorney.  The attorney will provide advice and counsel and then determine whether she is able to provide further representation.  Volunteers will go through the intake form with the client (possibly with the help of an interpreter) and gather basic biographic information and information about their immigration situation and immigration history.  The attorney uses this information in conjunction with the consultation to help determine legal options and potential remedies. JFON’s greatest need for interpreters is in the Spanish language, though in the past they have also needed assistance with French, Arabic, and Swahili.  More languages may be needed on a case-by-case basis.

We hope you will take this opportunity to assist immigrants in securing free legal services.  If you are interested in this opportunity, please click here to sign up for a training session on Friday, January 13th, 10am-12pm, at the Max M. Fisher Federation Building.

Volunteer Forms

It is JCRC’s policy that all volunteers fill out a Volunteer Agreement and a Background Check Authorization. Please click on the link for the forms, print them, read them, fill them out, and return them at least two business days prior to your first volunteer shift.  You may use any of the following methods to return the forms:

• Email: Print, sign, and scan the forms, and then email them to scrane@jfmd.org.
• Fax: JCRC’s fax number is 248-642-6469.
• Snail mail: Jewish Community Relations Council, 6735 Telegraph Road, Suite 140, Bloomfield Hills, MI 48301.

Please note
1. The Accounting Aid Society has requested that anyone who volunteers with Accounting Aid Society be trained in both FAP and MiChild.  So, if you have not attended training sessions for both applications, you will not be eligible to volunteer with Accounting Aid Society.

2. We will only be filling out the FAP application with our other partner agencies (including Matrix Human Services and South Oakland Shelter) for the time being.  This means that while you can use your FAP training at all of our sites, you will only be able to use MiChild at Accounting Aid Society sites.

Thank you for your interest in Project Paperwork. We will continue to update this page as we create more training and volunteer opportunities. Please feel free to get in touch with Sarah Crane, JCRC Community Relations Associate, if you have any questions (scrane@jfmd.org or 248-642-2649).