Volunteer Opportunities
Volunteers Are an Integral Part of Our Mission
Each year, volunteers donate thousands of hours towards legal, translation, fundraising, and social services. Each hour contributed benefits our clients going through the immigration process.
How Do I Sign Up?
Simply complete HRI’s online application form and our Volunteer Director will be in touch with next steps. All volunteers interested in working with clients or client related documents will be asked to sign a confidentiality agreement, and complete a criminal background check request.
HRI requires that all volunteers are at least 18 years old. If you have any questions, please feel free to email volunteer@hrionline.org.
Interpreting or Translating
HRI actively recruits volunteer interpreters and translators to provide written translations and in-person interpretation in English for our clients. HRI utilizes volunteer translators for many languages, including Arabic, Amharic, French, Kirundi, Kinyarwanda, Korean, Mandarin, Nepalese, Spanish, Tigrinya, Vietnamese, and more. Volunteer interpreters and translators must complete a background check and read the Interpreter and Translator’s Packet, which contains guidelines for how to complete translations and/or interpret for HRI.
*Volunteers must be at least 18 years old.
Volunteer Mentoring Program
HRI’s Mentoring Program pairs community volunteers with some of our adult clients. The goals of the mentoring program are:
- Giving our clients exposure to life outside of their own living situation and exposure to another person who is not involved in their legal case.
- Helping our clients integrate into our community by building connections to make their transition easier in Texas.
- Offering the opportunity for volunteers to have a deeper level of involvement with HRI’s work.
- Encouraging volunteers to become advocates and increase awareness of HRI’s work.
Bilingual English and Spanish, French, or Arabic speakers are currently needed! Each mentor is asked to commit to a six month period, two hours per month. HRI requires that each interested mentor complete the application process, which includes an Application Form and Mentoring Packet, mandatory criminal background check, and training session.
*Volunteers must be at least 18 years old.
Office Volunteer
**On hold due to COVID-19**For the volunteer looking to help us Monday through Friday between 9AM-5PM at our office!
- Answering phones (bilingual Spanish/English only)
- Administrative office work
- Assistance with event planning and promotion
*Volunteers must be at least 18 years old.
Legal Assistance
Our pro bono program is the core of our mission. Share your knowledge, passion, and experience.
Volunteer Programs
Essentials for Life Program
This program offers the opportunity for volunteers and donors to organize or participate in supply drives, so we may provide our clients with hygiene items such as shampoo, conditioner, body wash, soap, deodorant, toothpaste, toothbrushes, sanitary pads, personal razors, and other essential supplies such as baby items.
Health Professionals for Human Rights
Our volunteer health professionals provide forensic medical examinations, psychological evaluations, or other services to our clients. Volunteer physicians, psychologists, and counselors can be vital to the legal process, as they often help to substantiate any physical evidence and/or psychological trauma left behind from the torture some of our clients have experienced.
Hosting Donation Drives
The Holiday Wish program at HRI brings the joy of the season to our clients, many of whom are struggling with the worries and anxieties surrounding their legal cases. Thanks to generous contributions, the Holiday Wish program is able to lend a hand to our neediest clients and their children through the purchase of gifts and the necessary grocery gift cards to purchase food for the holidays.
We hope you will participate in this important program by sponsoring a family and shopping for one or more items on their wish list, or donating so that HRI and its volunteers can shop for you. For more information on our program, as well as how to sign up, please click here!
In-Kind Donations
In-Kind donations are essential to expanding our work in the Dallas community. HRI is always looking for reliable and motivated volunteers to help with the collection of goods and items that our clients need. We do our best not to replicate existing community services and only ask for items that we know our clients would not receive otherwise. See the list below for examples of how you can help!
Internships and Fellowships
Human Rights Initiative of North Texas offers competitive Spring, Summer, and Fall internships for graduate and undergraduate interns depending on need.
Pro Bono Association
Join HRI’s Pro Bono Association
- Executive Committee: Amit Patel
- Chair: Julie Feldman
- Record-keeping Secretary: Pete Thompson
- Communications Secretary:
- Ashlie Alaman
- Chase Cooper
- Tricia DeLeon
- Sarita Prabhu
- Sarah Crow
- HRI Volunteer Coordinator: Layne Faulkner
Do you wish to engage with HRI on a new level?
HRI’s Pro Bono Association seeks to expand the impact of our pro bono network on HRI’s clients, the legal field, and the community at large. The Pro Bono Association will offer new avenues for volunteer attorneys to engage in HRI’s work.
The Pro Bono Program
HRI recruits and trains legal professionals to provide pro bono representation for our clients through the Pro Bono Program. Since 2000, HRI staff have trained more than 620 attorneys to represent clients on a pro bono basis.
Last year lawyers donated more than $2.8 million dollars of pro bono time to our clients. Since the agency’s inception, HRI has won 87% of its asylum cases and 99% of all its other legal cases. Pro bono attorneys are the backbone of HRI’s success.
You do not have to be an attorney specializing in immigration and nationality law. We offer group CLE trainings and individual training to all of our pro bono attorneys. HRI will also provide each pro bono with a link and password to download our Training Manual, Human Rights Initiative of North Texas: A Pro Bono Guide. The training manual provides detailed information on each of our pro bono programs as well as practice pointers and ethical considerations.
As a Pro Bono attorney with HRI, you will be mentored by our staff program attorneys. HRI’s staff attorneys share resources, review documents, and are available to answer any questions.
We are dedicated to representing our clients and assisting our volunteers in a manner consistent with the highest standards of dignity and professionalism.
HRI continuously seeks legal volunteers to assist with:
- Affirmative asylum cases
- Representation of clients at the Houston Asylum Office
- Representation of clients at trial before the Executive Office of Immigration Review (the Dallas Immigration Court)
- Representation of a child seeking relief based on Special Immigrant Juvenile Status
- Representation of men, women, and children seeking relief under the Violence Against Women Act
- Representation of men, women, and children seeking relief under the Victims of Trafficking and Violence Protection Act through a U-Visa
Volunteer Forensic Physicians Program
Are you a physician looking for volunteer opportunities? HRI seeks volunteer physicians to complete forensic medical exams and then prepare brief reports summarizing their findings.
These forensic reports, which are submitted with our clients’ asylum claims, are vital to the legal process as they substantiate the physical evidence left from the torture our clients have endured. The average time commitment per client is 10 hours. Sample reports, as well as training materials, will be provided.
HRI’s Featured Forensic Physician, Dr. Mary Ellen Bluntzer:
“As a physician I cannot recall any work that has been more fulfilling than my work for HRI clients. It has broadened my medical expertise, used up every part of my life experience and personalized international news in a life changing way.”
