Volunteer Opportunities

To get involved as a volunteer with WATCH's Housing Clinic, community organizing, annual events, and other projects please complete this online application. For questions or more information, contact Nafisa by email at nafisa@watchcdc.org.

Read below about how to get involved with WATCH’s various projects and programs. We have many opportunities ranging from one-time events to more long term engagement options with opportunities to gain leadership experience!

WATCH does not have the capacity to facilitate donations of household goods. Thank you for your generosity!

Please go to the Household Goods website or the City of Waltham's Donation page to find donation opportunities. 

 

Assist with Events & Projects

WATCH has a variety of events throughout the year that require extra hands such as our winter coat drive and our newsletter mailing in the fall and spring. Sign up to receive our newsletter to stay in the loop with WATCH news and opportunities to get involved. 

Volunteer opportunities include: 

  • Activity and event planning
  • Assist with clerical work such as data entry
  • Make phone calls to increase event turn out 
  • Organize drives within your own communities to gather donations for WATCH

Help out at the Office

After three long years, our office is finally open! We are excited to see all of our clients and community partners in person.

Volunteer opportunities include:

  • Help with mailings
  • Donate 4 hours by working the front desk
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Get involved with our Housing Clinic 

We are accepting fully remote and hybrid volunteers of all backgrounds and ages!
The main tasks will be:
  • Connecting with clients to provide basic information about community resources relating to fuel assistance, rental assistance, state-funded financial assistance, food, furniture and clothing
  • Assisting clients with filling out applications such as state-funded programs like SNAP, EAEDC & TANF, public housing applications, such as CHAMP, AHVP, and MRVP mobile vouchers, and rental assistance programs such as RAFT and ARPA
  • Provide education to the community through workshops regarding housing search, fuel assistance, rental assistance, and public housing programs
  • Returning phone calls, text messages, and emails to new and prospective clients
  • Provide direct assistance to case managers by assisting with collection of documents, and submission of applications for state funded programs
  • Create and update educational resources, such as, how to apply for community and state funded resources, how to conduct a housing search, how to find legal support,  tenant's rights, etc.
  • Connect with clients in need of mental health support and sharing mental health support agencies and partners
  • Provide direct administrative support with electronic filing system
  • Create storyboards and other printed media for tabling events
If a volunteer is interested in full case management, we can accomodate this as well!
Benefits of working with us include:
  • Flexible schedule - WATCH Housing Clinic will work around volunteer's schedule and needs
  • Gaining the satisfaction of knowing you are assisting families in need
  • Learning about the housing situation in Waltham and in the surrounding towns, and the organizations working to meet the population's needs
  • Meeting and getting to know families in need and all the ways they work together to assist their community
  • For public health, social work, sociology, and law students --provides real-life view of the scope of this type of work
  • Provides job skills that can be applied to a variety of fields
  • Positive work or school references -- 5 out of 12 interns from January-June 2023 were gainfully employed following their internship at the WATCH Housing Clinic!

Get Involved with Community Organizing

For over 35 years WATCH has been organizing tenants and advocating for housing justice. WATCH's programs and actions are driven by the strength and power of the Waltham community and include advocating for affordable housing proposals and organizing a Tenant Action Group. 

Volunteers can help uplift tenant voices by supporting community organizing efforts in a variety of ways including:  

  • Make phone calls to increase turn out for events and public hearings 
  • Attend public hearings and conferences in support of affordable housing  
  • Share links to WATCH’s petitions to get more signatures 
  • Door knocking, distributing flyers, and tabling at events
  • Support tenant meetings
  • Research affordable housing programs

Get Involved in Adult Education

Co-Teach Adult English classes
WATCH CDC is seeking volunteers to co-teach adult English classes. Teaching experience is not required.

Join our dynamic, fun hybrid classroom environment and support participants in reaching their goals! This is a great opportunity to have a real impact on the daily lives of immigrants in our community and to gain teaching skills alongside supportive colleagues. 

Teachers will:

  • Lead classes focused on daily English communication.
  • Work closely with the Program Manager on curriculum and class goals.
  • Be available any morning (10AM-12PM) or evening (6PM-8PM) during the week, Monday-Thursday.
  • Commit to participating most weeks for a whole session (late June-mid August, September-December, January-June).
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Tutor an adult learning English
Tutoring is a great way to help people in our community learn English while also getting to know someone from another country and culture. Learning English can have a substantial impact on an immigrant's life - it improves their job opportunities, increases their ability to connect with the broader community, and overall thrive in their new home. 

Tutors will:

  • Commit one hour a week for at least one month
  • Be matched one-on-one with a learner who has a similar schedule

To become an English teacher or tutor, please complete this online application.

For questions or more information, contact Nafisa at nafisa@watchcdc.org.