Volunteer With Us!
Volunteers help us accomplish our mission at Arrive Ministries: to live out God’s command to welcome refugees and immigrants. We believe you have something valuable to contribute and learn from befriending, assisting, and advocating for our refugee and immigrant neighbors. Arrive Ministries is a Christian non-profit, that partners with volunteers from local churches who share our mission of seeing refugees welcomed with the love of Christ.
Thank you for your interest in volunteering!
The first step for interested volunteers is to attend one of our monthly Arrive Ministries Interest Meetings! Please read the descriptions of our volunteer opportunities below, and find an upcoming Volunteer Interest Meeting here.
Volunteer Opportunities
Host families in your home
Short-term hosts provide housing to refugee individuals and families for 1 to 14 days when we are unable to find housing right away. Long-term hosts house an individual or family while they are in transition or unable to afford a home on their own.
Teach English to Somali adults
Somali Adult Literacy Training. SALT is a growing movement of 200+ volunteers who are coming alongside Somali families to build friendship, share stories and help with literacy and English skills. (currently offered in Twin Cities metro, St. Cloud, Willmar, and Rochester)
Teach English to women from Afghanistan
Afghan Women’s English Language Learners. While their husbands know English and worked with the U.S. military or other organizations, these Afghan women usually arrive speaking little or no English. AWELL partners female volunteers with Afghan women to teach them practical English as part of a growing friendship. (currently offered in Twin Cities metro)
Walk alongside refugee and asylum seeking families for one year
Good Neighbor. Befriend refugees and asylum seekers by providing practical support and life skills to those who have been forced to flee their homelands. This can be done as an individual, family or church team. (currently offered in Twin Cities metro, Rochester, and St. Cloud)
Provide homework help to school-age children
Befriend families through the avenue of homework help. Reading, writing, math, science… if tutoring in one of these subjects sounds fun, we have many families eager for your help! Spend time getting to know school-age kids while providing practical support. (currently offered in Twin Cities metro, St. Cloud, and Willmar)
Assist women as they learn sewing skills
Salem Arts Exchange. Serving our refugee neighbors through the universal language of arts and crafts. SAE exists to be a joyful, creative gathering place for refugee women where friendships are formed, beautiful handicrafts are created, and lives are pointed to Christ. (currently offered in the Twin Cities and St. Cloud)
Offer practical support to our staff and families:
Become a volunteer interpreter
Your willingness to help our staff or other volunteers with your interpretive skills will enable newly arrived refugee families & individuals to receive needed support during critical moments in cultural adjustment.
We need volunteer interpreters for these languages (these are suggestions, not limited to the following): Somali, French, Lingala, Swahili, Tshiluba, and Kikongo (Kituba)
Become a media volunteer
Media volunteers help us call our communities to respond biblically by taking photos, creating videos, helping with social media, writing stories, and spreading the word of what we are doing.
Volunteer in our donation room
Support our staff by organizing our warehouse of household items, made available to our refugee families. Volunteer once / twice per month or as needed.
Teach new refugee arrivals how to ride the bus
Help new arrivals on their path to self-sufficiency by teaching the critical skill of riding the bus; building confidence in their ability to get from place to place on their own.
Deliver furniture and set-up an apartment
Provide a warm welcome to an arriving refugee family by helping to prepare their first home in Minnesota. Along with our staff, help deliver and assemble beds, furniture and other household items.
Love Your Neighbor email chain
Stay informed of immediate needs Arrive Ministries has learned of through our Love Your Neighbor emails. Occasional emails will be sent to this group making one time requests or presenting one time or short-term needs. Some of these opportunities may require a background check.
Start a Refugee Garden at my church
Does your church have land that is not being used? Refugees and immigrants are utilizing more than 2,000 plots at local churches in the Twin Cities and St. Cloud to grow familiar and sustainable produce. Learn more about how you can get a garden started at your church!
Learn how you can get involved at other Arrive Ministries locations:
St. Cloud Volunteer Opportunities
Willmar Volunteer Opportunities
Rochester Volunteer Opportunities
Other: There are many unique and creative ways to serve the refugee community. If you have an idea not listed in our current volunteer opportunities that you would like to share, please contact us
