The Young Center for Immigrant Children’s Rights, a program that advocates for the rights and best interest of immigrant children, is seeking volunteer child advocates.
The program serves as trusted allies for these children while they are in deportation proceedings, advocating for their best interests, and stands for the creation of a dedicated children’s immigrant justice system that ensures the safety and well-being of every child, according to its website, theyoungcenter.org.
“If anyone knows of a child who is [detained] in a facility that needs [the] help of a child advocate or who knows that we can help them, they refer that child to our website and our organization,” said Lillian Murray, volunteer coordinator for the center, which is located in Harlingen.
“Essentially, our office sees about [300] to 400 referrals a month, but because we are a small staff and we have very little volunteers, we really, really depend on having volunteers to be able to fulfill the high intake of [referrals],” Murray said. “The amount of children that we can help really depends on the volunteers that we have on deck.”
These volunteers spend time with and advocate on behalf of an individual, unaccompanied immigrant child while he or she is subject to deportation proceedings, according to its website.
Volunteers are the most important part of the organization, according to Miriam Aguayo, managing attorney at the Harlingen office.
“They are the person that’s there for them oftentimes, maybe in a time that they’re needing at least one person … to be on their corner in a time when they are very vulnerable,” Aguayo said.
The prospective volunteer must be at least 21 years old, attend a two-day training and pass background checks. Volunteers do not have to be fluent in Spanish. Aguayo said all languages are needed and helpful.
The Harlingen Young center holds two training sessions every year. This year’s trainings will be from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. March 4 and 5 and Aug. 19 and 20 in person.
If a prospective volunteer misses a training session, Murray encourages them to begin the application process anyway.
“Before I started volunteering, I was very hesitant because I was coming from a different background,” said Janette Gonzalez, a child advocate supervisor and advocate. “I was primarily with adults. The two-day training helped me so much.
“If anybody is hesitant about being a volunteer because they don’t have [a] background working with children, I can tell you from my personal experience from when I started volunteering that there was someone with me every step of the way.”
Helping a child who is going through this difficult process may bring feelings of hopelessness at times, but Aguayo said the center is supportive of its volunteers.
“We create a space for them,” she said. “They could share with us, you know, what they’re feeling and what they’re thinking. We have opportunities to check in with us. We have appreciation events for [the volunteers]. It’s definitely very rewarding and the feeling … as though you’re helping in a way, is really special.”
For more information and to access the volunteer form, visit theyoungcenter.org.
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