Student Reflection

by Ysa Núñez

Para este semestre, elegí hacer mi voluntariado en el Centro de Refugiados en Urbana. Este centro es un lugar maravilloso; es pequeño (sólo hay 4 mujeres que trabajan en la oficina cada día) pero los servicios que ofrecen a los inmigrantes de nuestra comunidad son muy importantes. Por ejemplo, algunos de los servicios ofrecidos incluyen traducción de documentos e interpretación en la comunidad, ayuda en completar el papeleo para el empleo, las escuelas, la corte, los hospitales, etc., tutoría en ESL, defensa para el bienestar de los inmigrantes y mucho más. 

Emigrar a un país nuevo en sí es difícil; el viaje puede ser duro y cuando llegas, estás en un país con una cultura nueva donde probablemente se habla un idioma que no sabes. En comunidades más rurales, como Urbana, esos problemas se acentúan porque la probabilidad que hay una comunidad similar a la suya que habla el mismo idioma es más pequeño comparado con una ciudad grande. Centros como el Centro de Refugiados, entonces, ayudan a reducir la ansiedad que trae estar en una comunidad nueva. El centro ofrece recursos para facilitar el proceso de integración y adaptación.

Todo que el centro hace es muy importante para la comunidad inmigrante (no son sólo latinos: hay servicios en francés, vietnamita, cantonés, mandarín y ruso), y yo quería ofrecer mi tiempo para ayudar a las trabajadoras. Mi trabajo principalmente es contestar el teléfono y dirigir llamadas a las trabajadoras, o si no están, tomar mensajes. También ayudó a organizar los archivos de los clientes, saludar a los clientes y a veces servir como traductora o intérprete. Mis experiencias van a ser relativamente diferentes cada vez que voy, y voy a conocer a mucha gente, y por eso estoy muy emocionada para hacer mi voluntariado aquí.

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