Skip to content

VOLUNTEER WITH US

Meet Ali and hear her volunteering story.

logo_separator

Building One Community offers volunteers who care deeply about immigrants the opportunity to help them succeed in the community. Much of B1C’s success is due to the commitment and compassion of our diverse group of volunteers. Your time, skills, and talent make a real difference in people's lives. Through volunteering with us, you will learn about our local community, connect with other volunteers, and find a stronger sense of purpose.

If you have any questions or would like to receive more details about our current opportunities, please email our volunteer team at [email protected].

HOW IT WORKS

1

Receive our digital orientation manual or schedule a tour

2

Register as a volunteer

3

Our volunteer team will follow up with specific opportunities

4

Log your hours on your Personal Volunteer Site. Fill out the form and use the link that is emailed. Thank you for logging your hours!

VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES

There are opportunities available for individuals as well as groups. We are always looking for tutors to help us teach English language learners (ELL). Our adult students range from ages 18 to 80 and most come to Stamford with little to no English-speaking skills. We provide study materials necessary for you to use during the sessions and offer training if you need it. Please come in and tour our facility or contact the volunteer team at [email protected]. We will try to match your interests and schedule with opportunities at the center.

Join us in providing these valuable services to our community. These are some sample volunteer opportunities: 

  • Teaching and tutoring English Language Learning (ELL) classes
  • Technology tutor

  • Job skills training
  • Homework help
  • Personal support services

Review the section below called Current Volunteer Opportunities to see what is currently available. Make sure to click on the green arrow next to each opportunity to see the full description.

youth volunteer

Georgia

This place has opened my eyes.  It's definitely a different environment , even though it's so close to where I live.

Volunteer

Don

My students are so alive and yearning to learn more English. It's so gratifying to find people who are trying so hard and feel grateful.

Idania

Idania

B1C does its best to help others, no matter your color or race. They offer many programs and activities and they also provide a place to socialize.

Youth Volunteer

Chiara

It has been a great experience. Just getting to know the people here, it's like becoming a part of a family.

Jeffrey

Jeffrey

I've been an interpreter and I've also worked with computer literacy programs... by just doing simple things like these I can make a big impact.

CURRENT VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES - APRIL 2024

Must be at least 14 years of age, preferably 16 or older.

·     Description: teach or tutor an adult immigrant English in person at B1C.

·     Responsibilities: after initial training, tutor and plan sessions independently.

·     Skills needed: ability to speak slowly and clearly. Patience and flexibility.

·     Schedule and time commitment: (you can choose 1 shift or more)

          - 417 Shippan Ave: Tuesday, Thursday or Friday 9:30-11am. Tuesday or Thursday 6:30-8pm. 

          - 75 Selleck St: Monday to Friday 9:30-11am or 11:30-1pm. Monday or Wednesday 6:30-8pm. 

·     Training and supervision: ELL program staff.

·     Resources available: ELL books, worksheets and ELL online library.

·     Location: 417 Shippan Ave or 75 Selleck St (entrance at 77 Selleck St).

 

Must be at least 16 years of age or a junior in high school, tech-savvy and familiar with Google classroom. This opportunity is for individuals who have leadership experience or experience working with elementary school aged children. It is very important that a volunteer commits at least once weekly for 3 months. There will be an interview process and observation period for this position and completion of B1C’s abuse prevention training is mandatory prior to volunteering with children. We need both English speakers and especially Haitian Creole speakers.

• Description: tutor an elementary school child with homework help and enrichment educational activities. Nurture a
mentor/mentee relationship with your student under the supervision of B1C staff.

• Responsibilities: help children with their homework, guide enrichment activities and classroom conversation.

• Skills needed: must be tech-savvy and feel comfortable using Google classroom. Must be familiar with how elementary
school math is presently taught.

• Schedule and time commitment: minimum of one day a week for 3 months. Sessions take place Mondays - Thursdays
from 4:30-5:45pm.

• Training and supervision: Family and Individual Services program staff.

• Location: onsite at 417 Shippan Ave. 

Must be at least 16 years old.

·     Description: tutor basic computer skills to immigrants in person at B1C or via video conference.

·     Responsibilities: tutor and plan sessions.

·     Skills needed: English/Spanish fluency a plus.

·     Schedule and time commitment: minimum 3 month commitment. 45 minutes a week tutoring + prep time. Day and time flexible depending on the tutor and student availability.

·     Training and supervision: Workforce Development program staff.

·     Resources available: educational materials. Instructor is expected to also research resources.

·     Location: both onsite and online.

Must be at least 14 years of age. This opportunity is for high school students only. We emphasize responsibility, independence, communication and leadership skills. 

·     Description: tutor an adult immigrant English in person at B1C in one-on-one sessions.

·     Responsibilities: tutor and plan sessions independently.

·     Skills needed: ability to speak slowly and clearly. Patience and flexibility.

·     Schedule and time commitment: sign up as available at least one day before session. Sessions available Saturday morning onsite at B1C 11am-12:30pm.

·     Training and supervision: ELL program staff and Youth Group leaders.

·     Resources available: ELL books, worksheets and ELL online library.

·    Location: 75 Selleck St (entrance at 77 Selleck St).

Must be 18 years old and fluent in Haitian Creole and English.

·     Description: assist interpreting in Haitian Creole in our Immigration Legal Services Program.

·     Responsibilities:  Interpret during legal consultations or translate documents needed for legal proceedings.

·     Skills needed: must speak and write Spanish, Haitian Creole or Farsi fluently and be computer literate.

·     Schedule and time commitment: flexible depending on volunteer availability.

·     Training and supervision: Immigration Legal Services program staff.

·     Resources available: N/A.

·     Location: 417 Shippan Ave.

Must be at least 16 years of age.

·     Description: tutor elementary school children in English or Math and assist in enrichment activities. We are looking for volunteer leaders who can lead activities and regular volunteers for this program.

·     Responsibilities: after initial training, help children with English and Language Arts activities, Math games and enrichment activities.

·     Skills needed: must enjoy working with children both indoors & outdoors and be socially mature to act as a role model. Must be familiar with how math is presently taught.

·     Schedule and time commitment: June 24-July 25, Monday thru Thursdays from 3:45-6pm. You can sign up for 1 day a week or several days.  Please note that the Math portion of the program only takes place on Thursdays. All volunteers are expected to help out with enrichment activities such as yoga, field games, etc.

·     Training and supervision: Family and Individual Services staff.

       ·     Location: 417 Shippan Ave.

Must be 18 years of age or older and fluent in Spanish/English.

·     Description: teach a class to day laborers with a focus on speaking and listening skills with very little reading and writing involved, if any at all. Build vocabulary and conversation skills around the construction/landscaping fields.

·     Responsibilities: develop lessons, with the help of the online ELL library and the Workforce Development staff, to teach day workers conversational vocational English and boost their self-confidence.

·     Skills needed: must be fluent in Spanish/English and have the ability to connect with day laborers.

·     Schedule and time commitment: Sunday afternoons. Weekday evenings or Saturdays could be an option.

·     Training and supervision: Workforce Development program staff.

·     Resources available: ELL Online Library.

·     Location: 417 Shippan Ave.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

We have both adult and youth volunteers. Youth volunteers must be 14 years of age in order to volunteer. Keep in mind that we expect youth volunteers to function independently as volunteers.

It is B1C policy that volunteer tutoring and mentoring be conducted at our center on 75 Selleck Street. We will occasionally ask volunteers to assist at partner locations, including the Stamford Public Schools, or at an off-site fundraising venue.

Fluency in another language other than English is not required unless an opportunity specifically calls for it. We currently serve clients who originally come from 56 different countries so Spanish is not required. 

Most of our volunteers come from varied backgrounds and having a teaching background is not required.   What we do ask is that you speak clearly, loudly and slowly.  We also ask that you follow our ELL class structure with the help of our ELL Teacher Guide. 

Sometimes our students may not make it to their already scheduled tutoring session. Even though we make every effort to coordinate between clients and volunteers these instances will happen.  We ask that our volunteers remain flexible and open to performing other volunteer tasks.

Keeping track of volunteer hours is crucial.   We not only value your time and effort, but we also need a record of service hours so we can apply for grants that will help fund us.

You bet you do!  Any time you spend planning or organizing for your volunteer opportunity must be logged.  This includes any time spent planning lessons, photocopying, etc.

Once you register to volunteer you will receive a monthly newsletter containing information about current opportunities.  You can also come back to this page to see our current opportunities or contact the Volunteer Director directly by emailing here.

You can go to your Personal Volunteer Site by clicking on the Log Your Hours button a the top of this page.

Sometimes in the course of volunteering, a volunteer may get to know details about a participant’s personal history which may be upsetting.  Hearing about a traumatic event in somebody else’s life may generate feelings of sadness, helplessness or anger and even trigger memories of past traumatic events the volunteer may have experienced.

In order to help manage these feelings in case they arise, B1C has put together the following resources to identify and manage second hand trauma.  Remember, it’s ok to take a break from volunteering or rotate to a different volunteer opportunity to take care of your wellbeing. Please reach out to B1C’s volunteer team at [email protected] if you need support or would like to rotate to a different opportunity. Click on the links below for more information.

Vicarious Trauma in the Struggle for Immigrant Justice

Resource Guide for Coping with Secondhand Trauma

YOUTH VOLUNTEERS

Our youth service program strongly promotes independence, responsibility, self-confidence, and communication skills. If you are interested in volunteering you can register online here or reach out to our volunteer team directly at [email protected].
Please note that youth can start volunteering at 14 years of age or older and that parents are intentionally not involved in this process. We have many youth volunteer opportunities available after school, on the weekend, during school breaks, and summer months.  Below are sample volunteer opportunities. Go above to Current Volunteer Opportunities to see what is currently available.

ELL VOLUNTEER:

Become an English language teacher or tutor to an adult immigrant.

YOUTH GROUP: 

Join our high school youth-led volunteer group on Saturdays from 11am-12:30 pm. Sign up only for the Saturdays you are available.

YOUTH AMBASSADOR:

Youth Ambassador opportunities may become available throughout the year.  Make sure you volunteer with us first before inquiring about this position in which you can represent B1C and our mission at your school, place of worship, social club, or sports team. Organize a fundraiser to sponsor a drive, event, or collaborate with B1C to create your own volunteer project.

HOMEWORK AND ENRICHMENT CLUB:

Help with Homework on Mondays through Thursdays from 4:30-5:45 pm during the school year. Must be 16 years old or older.

SUMMER PROGRAMS AND INTERNSHIPS:

Join our Summer Reading or Summer Math programs. Internship opportunities may become available in the summer or during the school year depending on our needs. If you are interested in inquiring about a possible internship opportunity, please send a resume, cover letter and program area of interest to [email protected].

ELL Library

Welcome to the English Language Learning (ELL) Library!

The ELL Library is a curriculum tool created to better support teachers at Building One Community. It contains Curriculum Guides for each level of ELL at Building One Community with lesson goals, grammar, vocabulary, and materials for every day of the week.

Below you can find direct links to the Curriculum Guides folder to see what you will be teaching, and the Materials & Resources folder for worksheets and activities.
 
Questions and/or suggestions for us? Please email [email protected]
Carpe diem,
The ELL Team!
Julie ELL

Thank you to our wonderful 2023 Volunteers!

Susan Adamsen
Samir Afsary
Sonia Alcantarilla
Sophie Alcyone
Marina Alesi
Jordan Alexander
Alejandro Alfaro
Michelle Alfaro
Jaimie Alva
Naomi Alvarado
Victor Amerio
Nicholas Anaya
Brooke Andrews Peden
Leonel Arenas
Paula Argosh
Carolyn Armas
Rico Arocha
Grace Asness
Madeline Azrak
Daniel Babayev
Pauline Bailey
Alex Barbagallo
Maico Barillas
Evenshyson Bastien
Adair Beck

Carson Beck
Megane Benjamin
Asher Benn
Cami Benner
Emilia Bernal
Martina Bernal
Manuela Bettamio
Sahana Bhagavatula
Matthew Bilicznianski-Tromba
Ainsley Birmingham
Charlotte Boeckmann
Chris Bojanovich
Mark Bonasera
Susan Boria
Nadia Borja
Samuel Branyan
Lily Braun
Meg Broderick
Tancee Brodeur-Sassi
Jeff Brown
Brooke Brudner
Jared Buckman
Natalie Bunnell
Grace Butler
Sasha Cabanillas
Aldo Cabrera
Rosaicela Cabrera
Nahim Cagua
Franklin Calderon
Lorenza Camou
Georgina Campanelli
Julio Cardenas
Amy Carpi
Eugene Celentano
Claire Chan
Jean-Luc Charles
Kimberly Charles
Melissa Charles
Jordan Chiappetta
Beatrice Chodosh
Samantha Christopher
Christa Chu
Margaux Citrin
Adhlere Coffy
David Cohen
Joan Cohen
Valery Cojitambo

Eilish Collins Main
Natasha Colo-Quito
Harlie Confident
Alejandra Contreras
Manuel Contreras Jr.
Eric Coppe
Merybeth Cordero
Claudia Victoria Correa
Andres Felipe Cortes
Sebastian Cruz
Valentina Cuccolo
Arthur Cummins
Melissa Curran
Angeles Dam
Mia Delacruz
Joyce Huang
Tiffany Huang
Mariam Hussain


Joseph Delany
Ellie Dempsey
Debbi Dempster
Patrick de Saint-Aignan
Joaquin Diaz-Huerta
Alessandra DiGesu
Priya Dohil
Miguel Dominguez
Jennifer Donnalley
Jean-Garry Douze
Anne Downey
Sheila Doyle
Julian Du
Djemima Duvernat
Anna Eberwein
Alex Errico
Constanza Escobar
Izamar Escobar
Audreyanna Exantus
Sandra Farfan
Keith Farias
Caroline Fay
Alejandra Figueroa
Emily Filanowski
Tessie Filicetti
Bronwyn Fitzgerald
Elizabeth FitzPatrick
Janie FitzPatrick
Kathia Flemens
Chelsea Flores
Jackeline Flores
Jonathan Flores
Ximena Maria Flores
Bonnie Foos
Will Forshner
Ginny Fox
Sean Fox
Michael Frankowski
Marta Fromherz
Nicolas Galindo
Daniel Gallo Perez
Juan Manuel Garcia Ortiz
Sebastian Gardner
Annie Genovese


Rena Georgakopoulos-Ueta
Christopher Geotes
Michael Gifford
Mateo Gigliani-Alcantarilla
Nicolas Gigliani-Alcantarilla
Steisy Gil
William Glassmeyer
William Goggins
Gaston Gomez
Jaime Gonzalez-Ocana
Jill Gordon
Eleanor Goudie
Felicity Goudie
Jeff Greenberg
Anabelle Guarnera
Shannon Guerra
Joel Guerrier
Kathleen Guion
Patrick Gunn
Bettina Gunnerson
Maryan Guzman
Lisa Haas
Sophie Haas
Rana Arshed Hafiz
Talay Hafiz
Cesar Camilo Ham Benitez
Sarita Hanley
Bryce Heaton
Edmund (Ed) Hecklau
Carol Heller
Patrick Hentemann
Ana Hernandez
Camilar Herrera
Maria Herrera
Carol Hibbert
Harald Hille
Ian Hoffman
Michael Hoherchak
Deborah Holcombe
Belle Horwitz
Matthew Ichida-Marsh
Eliot Jacobs
Meher Jain
Joseph Janvier
Haley Johnson
Mar Joosten

Laura Jordan
Lourdes Jordan
Maryann Kann
Olivia Karanikolaidis
Barri Kaye
Richard Kelsey
Sebastian Kelsey
Liam Kennon
Benjamin Kessler
Barbara Kestenbaum
Filippa Keszti
Bennett Klein
Hanna Klingbeil
sofia klingbeil
James Knight
Julia Knispel
Gabriela Koc
Bruce Koe
Daphne Konstantinis
Nicolas Kopczewski
Gabriela Kopp


Neel Kothari
Abigail Kuffel
Viviani Kulig
Sarina Kulsakdinun
Louis Kural
Natalia Lacayo
Juan Laguna
Karla Lainez
Yves-Rose Laude
Vincent Leclercq
Richard Lee
Austin Lehn
Lila Leibowits
Zachary Lew
Andrew Li
Zach Libow
Scott Lichtman
Carter Lightburn
Elizabeth Linares
Alexa Loera
Anastasia Lohinska
Andres Lopez
Kevin Lopez
Marlon Lopez
Mari-Carmen Losada
Kherveleen Louis
Francesca Loverro
Tamu Lucero
Chris Lucey
Mary Maarbjerg
Ann Macenat
Sameera Madan
Maria Esther Magallanes
Lisa Magliocco
Tim Mahony
Suarana Maita
Beatriz Maldonado
Aven Mallie


Josue Manard
Spencer Marin
Justina Marque
Jeronimo Marsili
Nikholas Martin
Leidy Lorena Martinez Rojas
Mariana Martin Moreno
Brian McCarthy
Carolina McGoey
Sofia McGoey
Karen McGown
Liam McGuire
Adrián McMahon
Ginny Melvin
Diana Mendez
Diana Marcela Mendez Figueroa
Andrew Mendoza
Felipe Miguens
Ines Miranda
Gaishi Miyazaki
Gerardo Molla
Jackie Monahan
Alejandra Monegro
Lorraine Montero
Gustavo Montoya
Charlotte Moody
Santiago Morales
Frederick Moran
Ana Moran Arevalo

Camila Moreno
Mabel Moreno
Marcos Moreno
Mindy Morgan
Patrice Morley
Charlotte Morningstar
Jack Morningstar
Clarisse Moucha
Jack Moucha


Ellen Mullen
Betly Muralles
Juliette Murphy
Nabeeha Nafey
Anya Nagpal
Betsy Nagurney
Deniz Nalbantoglu
Serra Nalbantoglu
Kevin Neilinger
Pat Nelson
Andrea Nyquist
Brian Obando
Mateo Olea
Gary Olson
Ruben Ordonez-Lima
Jairo Orjuela
Cathy Ostuw
Helena Owens
William Owens
Maggie O’Callaghan
Luz Elena O’Rourke
Heleen Paparella
Ted Pardoe
Greg Parker
Doug Penn
Sofie Petricone
Vinny Petruso
Daniella Pineda
Jacklyn Pizzella
Elise Prather
Maddy Prather
Emelyn Principe
Violeta Pros
Liam Pufko
Eliza Raben
inna radoul
James Raidt
Karen Raidt


Tanvi Rajangam
Alex Ramos
Marilyn Ramos
Juan Rave
Olivia Recchia
Jane Renaud
Anne Rich
Lisa Rich
Cady Ridall
Arisleyda Riehl
Eleanor Riemer
Isabelle Riou
Malo Riou
Rémi Riou
Valentin Riou
Matt Rivera
Isabela Rizo
Max Rodgers
Alejandro Rodriguez
Bianca Rodriguez
Kate Rodriguez
Keely Rodriguez
Zayed Rodriguez
Luke Romanowski
Pierre Ronal
Sara Rosas Andrade
Eli Rosen
Zach Rosenberg
Anne Ross
Katie Ruhe
Allison Ruilova
Lilian Ruiz
Holly Russell
Cathy Sacks
Neev Sahgal
Fernando Salas
Michelle Saldivar
Yojanan Salinas
Joshitha Samineni
Elvira Sanchez
Cleidy Sandoval
Grace Sandoval
Maria Sandoval
Maria Isabel Sandoval

Amy Saperstein
Andrew Schau
Belen Scheggia
Tahlia Scherer
Sofia Schimmeck
Ben Schindelman
Jackson Schnabel
Zoe Schwartz
Aneri Shah
Elizabeth Shaw
Stephen Shealy
Conor Shepard
Eric Shepard
Obed Sierra
Mazin Sihweil
Peter Simari
Aiden Smith
Monica Smyth
Gael Sobrino
Mary Sommer Sandak

Lakeyva Spearman
Adam Spielvogel
Alex St. Andre
Charlie Stemerman
Walter Stewart
Patsie St Hilaire
John Stuart
Jolanda Sutherland
Noah Tabossi Zugman
Gabrielle Tagliaferro
Harper Teles
Emily Telesco
Frantzca Telima
Alec Tenebaum
Julie Thiele
Devi Thoka
purva thoka
Jack Thompson
Yana Thukral
Sabrina Tomei
Jonnatan Tovar
Alex Troyb
Hobie Truesdell
Nancy Truesdell
Hadley Tucker
Alana Ukperaj
Leah Ulloa
Paul Ulrich
Molly Umble
Jill Valderrama Vukelja de Patricio
Hannah Valverde
Robert Vargas
Elisa Vegas
Anna Ventker
Cristina Villarreal
Francisca Vivanco
Kathleen Walsh
Leon Wang
Eloise Warden
Kaya Wawrzonkiewicz
Sam Welch
Bob Welsh


Mackenzie Wenzel
Iris West
Paul Whitman
Anne Wichman
Ana Williams
Ellen Williams
Mike Williams
Betsy Wilson
Annie Wind
Arthur Wit
Evan Woods
Sophie Xu
Liam Yechiely
Jane Yezzi
Ariam Yohannes
Gigi Zaccario
Derek Zaeske
Avery Zakowich
Ignacio Zelaya
Charlotte Zelin
Jose Luis Zepeda
Dante Zimmerman
Bea Zimmerman

Please excuse any errors or omissions.

Building One Community is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Contributions are tax deductible to the extent allowed by law.

Stay in touch:

Follow us on social media or sign up for our newsletters.

Building One Community is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Contributions are tax deductible to the extent allowed by law.

Stay in touch:

Follow us on social media or sign up for our newsletters.

EnglishEspañolFrançaisKreyòl ayisyen
Scroll To Top