Direct Support

Role: Direct Support, Refugee Services
Position Type: volunteer
Availability: Ideally, 1 day/week (Monday-Friday, 4-6 hours; evening shifts available)
Commitment: Ongoing (minimum one year commitment)
Language: English (essential), French (preferred)
Location: Nepean or South Keys

About Matthew House Ottawa

Since 2010, Matthew House Ottawa has housed hundreds of refugee claimants, and provided free, quality furniture to more than 6000 households. We have done this with a large, dedicated team of volunteers and a small handful of employees, and a lot of passion and commitment. As a volunteer, you will make an important contribution to making the work of Matthew House Ottawa possible.

About this role

As Refugee Services Direct Support volunteer you will support refugee claimants in the early stages of their settlement process in Canada. You will receive orientation and training, and coordinate regularly with other team members.

You would be asked to:

  • Welcome new residents, with established intake procedures

  • Connect clients to social services in Ottawa

  • Help residents with their settlement process (e.g. submit job application, prepare for interviews, navigate public transit, etc).

  • Help with some basic administrative tasks

You would need to have:

  • Excellent people skills

  • The ability to practice patience with a non-judgmental attitude

  • Good communication skills in English, French or both languages

  • Proficiency in MS Office suite (Word, Excel, Outlook, OneNote)

  • Police Records Check (Level 3 - Vulnerable sector check)

  • Passion for the mission of Matthew House Ottawa to welcome and support refugees in Ottawa

To apply

If you are interested in this role, please complete the volunteer application form.

Mission

Matthew House Ottawa is a faith-based, volunteer-driven, charitable organization that helps Ottawa’s marginalised population to establish connected, safe, healthy, and dignified homes within our community. We do this by:

  • Providing shelter, food and refugee settlement assistance, including volunteer opportunities, in a family atmosphere to refugee claimants so that they may begin their journey to independence as members in Canadian society; and,

  • Distributing quality used furniture and household goods to Ottawa’s marginalised population

Values Statement

Faith Based: We live by our Christian faith and care for the stranger in response to God's call (Matthew 25:35).

Loving Service: This ministry seeks to express loving service towards each person we serve, do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with God.

Compassionate: We are passionate, caring, and enthusiastic in support of people's needs and seek to express a ministry of loving service toward each person we serve.

Respecting Human Dignity: We believe in respecting the value and dignity of each person receiving our services and those who serve in this ministry.

Engaging Community: We believe in building relationships with individuals, groups and other organizations to create fellowship and mutual support to help those in need.

Building Community: We believe in helping our clients to integrate into their new community to build a happy, healthy home, live in personal safety, and achieve their potential within our society.

Accountable: We are accountable to our clients, volunteers, and community partners and treat all who come in contact with this ministry with integrity, fairness, consistency, and honesty.

Environmentally Conscious: We encourage waste reduction, reuse, and recycling through our programs to promote healthy environments.