Jane Graupman’s September UMRA Forum presentation on the International Institute of Minnesota concluded with an enthusiastic call for volunteers. The Institute, as Executive Director Graupman described, provides critical support services for immigrants and refugees. Importantly, Graupman stated that retirees have long played a significant role assisting in these areas.

In following up with her comment, “We love retirees …” leaders of the University Retirees Volunteer Center (URVC) met with the Institute’s immigration services director, Corleen Smith, and identified an important area of need to serve as the initial focus for UMRA and URVC volunteers: helping refugees and asylum seekers complete the complicated paperwork required for visa applications and becoming U.S. citizens. 

Because this opportunity involves an initial group session for volunteers to review questions and suggestions regarding how best to work with clients on the paperwork, this activity lends itself to our volunteers working together—a goal many have mentioned regarding their interest in volunteering. Full descriptions of the work, the times for the group sessions, client assistance times, and the preferred backgrounds and qualifications for volunteers are being developed. Check urvc.umn.edu for updates.

—Jerry Rinehart, URVC Management Committee chair, and Deanne Magnusson, URVC vice-chair and project director