Volunteer with Us

At Renew Northwest, we believe everyone belongs—and that building a stronger, more compassionate community starts with showing up for one another. Our volunteers walk alongside immigrants in our region as they navigate life in a new place, offering practical support, connection, and hope.

When you volunteer with Renew NW, you’re not stepping in to “fix” people or situations. You’re joining a community rooted in mutual respect, learning, and dignity. Whether you’re helping a family understand a new system, teaching someone to navigate public transportation, taking a family grocery shopping or helping at a one time event, your presence matters.

If you’re someone who believes in welcoming the stranger, values cultural humility, and wants to be part of a community shaped by empathy and justice, we’d love to invite you into this work. Together, we can help make Whatcom County a place where newcomers are not just supported—but truly welcomed.

Ways to Volunteer

Rooted Whatcom

Rooted Whatcom is an outdoor program that invites immigrant families and individuals to experience the natural beauty of Whatcom County while building connection, confidence, and a sense of belonging. Through park days, hikes, kayaking, and other accessible outdoor activities, participants have the opportunity to explore their new home alongside neighbors and friends.

Roles availiable:

• Transportation - Provide a ride to and from events for an individual or family

• Hospitality - Welcome people as they arrive, hold signing to show people where to park and where the group is meeting

• Coordinating Events - Do you have experience coordinating group hikes or other outdoor events? We would love help coordinating these community building events

Community Orienation

Overview of Volunteer Process

Because Renew Northwest works closely with immigrant families—many of whom have experienced trauma, displacement, or systems that have not protected them—we take safety, trust, and accountability seriously. Creating a welcoming community also means creating a safe one.

For that reason, our volunteer process is intentionally thorough. We want to ensure that volunteers are well-prepared, aligned with our values, and committed to maintaining healthy boundaries, confidentiality, and dignity in every interaction. This careful vetting protects the individuals and families we serve, our volunteers, and the integrity of our programs.

Below is an outline of the steps required to become a volunteer with Renew NW. While the process may take time, it reflects our deep commitment to doing this work responsibly and well.

1. Fill out volunteer application

2. You will receive an email to attend an in-person volunteer training. These trainings currently run every other month.

3. At the training you will hear more about the required commitment to volunteer and be asked to sign the volunteer code of conduct.

4. You will have an interview, in-person or phone call with a member of our staff to hear more about you and what role you would like to volunteer for.

5. Once we have decided you are a good fit to volunteer for the role you are interested in we will run a background check.

6. You have finished the onboarding process and will start receiving volunteer needs emails!