National Volunteer Appreciation Week is Cause for Celebration at NMILC
Last week (April 21 - 27, 2024), NMILC celebrated National Volunteer Appreciation Week by posting social media “thank yous” to our dedicated volunteers, who help us help our clients. Whether it is providing translation or interpretation, help with our workshops, detention visits or providing logistical, administrative or medical support, volunteers help us provide more efficient services and push us closer to fulfilling our mission.
Though we feel that every week and every day we have gratitude to all the volunteers present and past, we were happy to spotlight our volunteers and spread the word about what we do to help immigrants obtain valuable legal services at no charge.
For those interested in volunteering at NMILC, please visit our volunteer page for more information. For additional questions, please contact Delaney Swink, NMILC Volunteer/Pro Bono Programs Manager via email at dswink@nmilc.org.
Andrea Gamboa
“What motivates me to volunteer with NMILC is helping my community and others like my parents who truly need it.”
Henry Torres
"My parents were immigrants. I have seen and lived the life of an immigrant family and feel that volunteering at NMILC is a small way to honor them and hopefully make someone else’s life a little easier."
Isaac Spafford
“Immigration legal services can be lifesaving, and they are overwhelmingly expensive and hard to access. NMILC meets an essential need for many people who aren't able to access similar services anywhere else in New Mexico, and I know my time volunteering with NMILC is time well spent.”
Margherita Tessarollo
“Volunteering with NMILC allows me to express empathy, grow personally and make a positive impact in the community. It is a meaningful way to give back to society and contribute to the well-being of others.”
Viola Arduini
“The US immigration system can feel challenging and isolating. As someone that has been dealing with it for years, volunteering with NMILC gives me the opportunity to help others to ease the burdens, even if it’s just a little bit. It’s important for me to share my experience and help any way that I can.”
Robert Minear
“I have worked with asylum seekers for many years. We receive families upon their release from immigration detention and give them food, clothing, medical care, a friendly ear to listen to their stories, and help them on their way to their sponsors. Many of these families have been through a great deal of trauma and abuse. Their path forward will be anything but easy. I want to do my best to make sure that they are welcomed, heard, and given a brief respite and sense of faith in humanity and hope for the future before the next steps of their journey.
Most asylum seekers barely have enough resources to make it across the border. Hiring an immigration attorney is usually out of the question. The asylum process is stacked against these unfortunate families. NMILC allows refugees to tell their stories in a narrative that fits the framework of the application guidelines to give them the best chance possible of winning their case. NMILC provides support and justice where otherwise none might exist. I’m grateful to the attorneys and staff at NMILC for all the good work that they do.”
María de los Angeles Villaverde
“I volunteer at NMILC because I came to the US as a refugee so I know how traumatic the whole process is and can relate at a personal level with other refugees and asylum seekers.
I’m thankful for the opportunity to work at NMILC because it makes me feel useful.”
