Volunteer at La Posada

You have talents to share. You have the desire to help others. You can help an immigrant or asylum-seeker on his/her journey by volunteering at La Posada Providencia. Please complete and return our volunteer registration form (download PDF at bottom of page) or email Program Director Sister Zita Telkamp and let her know you want to help.

One volunteer making a difference

Maricarmen Juesto-Grana is La Posada’s newest English tutor. Born in Mexico, she has now lived in Texas for 24 years. Maricarmen previously owned a restaurant in the Harlingen area and had hired several people from La Posada. Now that she no longer works at the restaurant, she has time to volunteer and decided she wanted to work one-one-one with individuals in need, doing something that really made a difference. “I feel that what I am doing is helping people achieve what they want for their lives,” she said.

Read about Eve Marie, who spent a month at La Posada and gained as much as she gave.

How can you help? In so many ways! You can…

• Teach English as a Second Language. Our clients frequently know only their native tongue. By helping them learn conversational English, you’ll be helping them gain an important key to success.
• Help clients learn about United States customs and culture by teaching them about money and banking, nutrition or job readiness. The knowledge you take for granted is part of the puzzle for newcomers.
• Teach clients how to use a computer by introducing them to Internet use and basic software applications. Empower them to search for work or housing, stay informed and keep in touch with family back home.
• Help clients prepare for the GED or citizenship test. All those pieces of paper are necessary to their future success!
• Drive clients to the many places they need to be: their lawyer’s or doctor’s office, the Social Security office, the Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, etc. Public transportation is nearly impossible in an unfamiliar place where you are not fluent in the language.
• Take pictures! It is difficult for the staff to find time in their busy days to photograph the ever-changing face of La Posada. Please use your photography skills to capture our story!
• Make our garden grow by tending the vegetable garden, fruit and other trees, flowers and shrubs. Pass your skills on to our clients! For a complete “job” description, please download the PDF at the bottom of this page.
• Keep our offices running smoothly by answering phones or helping with the files.

If you have other skills you’d like to share that we have not listed, please contact Program Director Sister Zita Telkamp at 956-399-3826 or cdplaposada@sbcglobal.net.

Volunteer Your Professional Services

There is a loftier ambition than merely to stand high in the world.
It is to stoop down and lift mankind a little higher.
Regardless of how much we possess, there is always someone we can raise up a bit higher.
And in so doing, we find that we will stand taller, too. ~Henry Van Dyke

Our clients often arrive at La Posada Providencia after many weeks or months of travel, and often after years without medical or dental care. Some have experienced severe malnutrition, mistreatment or even torture. In addition, the United States Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement prefers to bring pregnant women and women with infants to La Posada, rather than keeping them in detention centers.

Our clients’ medical needs are a high priority.

You have been blessed with knowledge and skill. Thank you for sharing those gifts with the clients of La Posada Providencia. In particular, our clients can benefit from the donation of the following professionals:

• Lawyers, especially those with expertise in immigration law
• Doctors of all kinds
• Nurses
• Dentists
• Midwives
• Optometrists
• Psychiatrists and counselors
• Opticians
• Orthodontists
• Pharmacists

To share your skill, please contact Program Director Sister Zita Telkamp, CDP at cdplaposada@sbcglobal.net or 956-399-3826. ¡Gracias!

Questions? Stories?

Do you have questions about volunteering? Do you have a story to share about working with immigrants? Please submit your question or story in an email.

Job Descriptions

Volunteer Application Form

Grounds Maintenance Job Description

ESL and Life Skills Instructor Job Description