As an organization grounded in the Latino community of Washington State, it is the mission of El Centro de la Raza (The Center for People of All Races) to build the Beloved Community through unifying all racial and economic sectors; to organize, empower and defend the basic human rights of our most vulnerable and marginalized populations; and to bring critical consciousness, justice, dignity, and equity to all the peoples of the world. Central to this effort for change is an unwavering commitment to struggle for Civil Rights for all persons. El Centro de la Raza recognizes that the majority of its participants, friends and supporters are involved in a daily struggle for economic independence, political empowerment, freedom, justice and creating community.
We ask all new volunteers to fill out our volunteer application, complete a background check, and attend a volunteer orientation: Orientations take place twice a month. Café con El Centro is held the first Thursday of each month from 8-9am. Café is a good, informal opportunity to get to know the staff, programs, mission, and history of El Centro. To RSVP, please visit volunteersignup.org/4AYLC. We also have an evening orientation from 5:30-6:30pm every third Wednesday of the month. To RSVP, please visit volunteersignup.org/X4DQ3. Only one orientation is required but you are free to attend both/ multiple times.
Current/ On-going opportunities:
Building the Beloved Community Gala: On October 12, 2019, El Centro de la Raza will hold its annual Building the Beloved Community Gala at the Convention Center in downtown Seattle. The evening will consist of a reception, award and scholarship presentations, silent auction, dinner, and live auction. This event is the most important fundraiser of the year where we raise essential funds to support our 43 human service and community-building programs.
To make this event a success, we are looking for 100+ volunteers! Volunteer groups welcomed!
To sign up, please visit: volunteersignup.org/MAXFY
Dinner Under the Lights: A private dinner party for 20 hosted only once per year! The evening will consist of a three-course meal, a hosted bar, and live music outside in Plaza Roberto Maestas-Beloved Community under the glowing lights on Saturday, July 20, 2019 from 7:00-10:00 PM.
We need 8 volunteers to help with set-up, greeting, food prep, service and clean-up from 4:00pm – 10:30pm. This is a great opportunity for volunteers with restaurant or catering experience.
Outdoor Movies at Plaza Roberto Maestas: Throughout the summer months, El Centro de la Raza will host free outdoor movies once a month. The movies will be family friendly and everybody is welcomed to participate in the event. We will need volunteers to help setup an outdoor screen and speaker system, oversee the sale of movie snacks/drinks, help distribute flyers for upcoming events and assist in breakdown and cleanup.The outdoor movie events will vary in time due to movie lengths and viewings beginning at dusk throughout summer. The first PRM Mercado & Movie Night will be June 22nd and we will need 6 volunteers from 9:00am – 2:00pm, and 10 volunteers from 8:00pm to 11:00pm.
Front Desk Assistant: Frances Martinez Community Service Center: Greet program participants, answer phones, take messages, respond to e-mails, update the database, direct volunteers to appropriate offices, refer walk-ins to other agencies, and provide information regarding social services. Spanish proficiency required.Shifts—Mon: 8:30am-5:30pm Tue: 8:30am-12:00pm Wed: 8:30am-5:30pm Thu: 8:30am-12pm Fri: 8:00am-5:00pm (At least two hours within any shift once a week)
Legal Clinic Assistant: The Law Offices of Schroeter, Goldmark & Bender partner with the Latina/o Bar Association of Washington to provide free monthly, bilingual clinics to the community, and we need bilingual volunteers to assist with intake, as well as interpreting for non-Spanish speaking attorneys.
Clinics take place on the second Wednesday of the month from 4:00 PM 8:00 PM. We have two shifts: 4:00 PM – 6:00 PM or 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM or both. Please join us this month! Our legal clinics are one of our most sought-after programs.
To sign up, please visit https://www.volunteersignup.org/ML7PP
Food Bank Assistance: Volunteers would be responsible for assisting with the repacking, restocking, and distributing food. While the food bank is open, the primary duty is to assist participants with putting their groceries in their bag. Other duties throughout the distribution hour include monitoring levels of food, communicating with the supervisor as to what needs to be refilled, and helping with repacking and refilling as necessary. Volunteer duties on Wednesday mornings are different in that this is the time when we receive our entire product for the week. If working during this time, volunteers will help in unloading the pallets of food we receive, preparing our storage space for the new product, and repacking/preparing the product for distribution. Expected Results: That the volunteer would be effective in assisting us so that we can open for distribution on time, ensuring that we have enough product repacked and that we have stored all of the food safely so that it can be used during the week. Required Skills: Ability to lift 10-50lbs; physically able to be standing for 1-4 hours. Food Handler’s Card required. To apply for a Food Handler’s card at your own expense, visit https://www.foodworkercard.wa.gov/. Desired Skills: A friendly and patient personality (we serve a very diverse community; there are multiple language barriers that can make communication a bit of a challenge); take instruction/direction well; task-oriented; a willingness to get to know our food bank and its participants. Anything else to know about this position? If you speak Spanish or Cantonese that would be a huge plus! Tuesday: 7:00 AM – 11:00 AM Wednesday: 8:00 AM – 10:00 AM & 1:00 PM – 6:30 PM Thursday: 8:00 AM – 12:00 PM & 1:00 PM – 4:30 PM Friday: 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM & 1:00 PM – 4:00 PM
Plaza Roberto Maestas After-School Program: Homework Tutoring for a 3 month program and help students who need support finishing assignments in core subjects like reading, math, science, social sciences, history, language arts, etc. Will also support facilitators and students in program engagement with journal prompts or reading. Occasionally lend a hand with field trips and physically directing students. Spanish, Mandarin, or Amharic proficiency preferred. Commitment levels are 1 day a week minimum for 3 months span. Shifts: Monday – Friday from 4pm to 6pm
Guest Presenters/Site Visit hosts/Job readiness assistants for Unidos in Finance: UIF is a workforce development program to train bilingual Latinos to enter into the finance sector through a six-week bank teller training program. We are looking for guest presenters who work in the finance sector and banking to give presentations on topics specific to their field of expertise. We are also looking for volunteers who can help with the job readiness portion of the program: assisting with resumes, job search and interview preparation. Spanish proficiency NOT required. Shifts— Monday-Wednesday: 9:00AM-3:00PM with schedule flexibility for guest presentations and job readiness assistance.
Early Learning Programs Assistance: Home visitors need assistance preparing children’s activities that are taken on visits. These activities can help with a child’s motor function, excel their creativity or introduce them to new ways to learn colors, patterns or numbers. We utilize recycled products and look for creative project ideas online. There is no limit to the creativity when helping a child learn. Will work or receive directions from the home visitors as to which projects or activities are needed. If you are creative or love arts and crafts, this opportunity is for you! Shifts— Monday- Friday: 9:00AM-5:00PM
We also need a volunteer to assist with the Home-Visiting Program during monthly family group connections. Duties include assisting with childcare, setup/clean-up, and helping during crafts/activities. Must speak Spanish. Wednesday from 4:00 PM – 8:00 PM. This volunteer will be needed 1 Wednesday/month; typically the first Wednesday.
ESL Assistant: Assist with English language classes one to two times per week. Provide support to ESL instructor as well as individual support to class participants. Help instructor and ESL Coordinator with intake and enrollment of students. Volunteers should be willing to commit to at least one evening (~2.5 hours) per week. Spanish proficiency is NOT required. Shifts—Tue: 5:00pm – 7:30pm Thu: 5:00pm – 7:30pm
Development Department Assistance: The Development Department is in charge of raising funds for the 43 programs and services that serve 14,000 children, families, adults and seniors every year. We are looking for a volunteer to update and help manage data entry.Tuesdays: Anytime Fridays: In the afternoon, but we offer flexibility. This is an ongoing opportunity.
Human Resources/Recruitment Assistant: Interested in nonprofit administration? The Human Resources Administrator is looking for an assistant to help with job postings and tracking using job posting websites, networks, email contacts, and social media. The volunteer should be proficient in Microsoft Office and Outlook with strong communication and organizational skills. Degree in Business, Communication, Human Resources or other related field preferred. Spanish proficiency preferred. Flexible within business hours. Monday – Friday: 8:30am – 5pm
Housing and Economic Development Assistance: We are looking for 3 to 4 volunteers who would like to help clean and reorganize the storage room of our Centilia Cultural Center. Tuesday-Saturday: A minimum of 2 hours from 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM
We are also looking for 1 volunteer to post flyers in key spots near El Centro de la Raza, and help with scanning, copying and filing. We will need logistical support for sessions, lay-out, and help with printed materials. Flexible with days and times beginning April 15, 2019 Monday, Wednesday, or Friday between 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM.
We also need a bilingual volunteer to assist in addressing new tasks that come up each day (for example: Check new voice messages and return phone calls, file paperwork that has been completed that specific day, etc). We Also need back up documentation for educational subjects, so specific Google searches will need to be performed to support the educational subjects that will be presented in each class. There is also a need for translating documents (Spanish-English) and scheduling parent meetings. Wednesdays with a flexible schedule