Welcome to the LatiNola volunteering page! LatiNola has exciting volunteer opportunities that you won’t find anywhere else in the city. By volunteering with us you will experience new sides of our community, give back, learn how to organize projects, and meet others who are dedicated like you! 

Below are our current volunteer opportunities.  To sign up contact Christina: cdecker@puentesno.org.

Featured Volunteer Opportunities:

Volunteer at Puentes’ Upcoming Conference: “Raising Voice, Raising Awareness, Raising Power” August 20th

This conference will showcase the work of Latino leaders and advocates in the Gulf Coast since Hurricane Katrina, and will feture panels discussing the challenges and opportunities of the growing community.  Volunteers are needed for morning and afternoon shifts at the conference.  Volunteers get free lunch, will be able to view panels, and will be part of a great event!  Please get in touch with Christina to learn more: cdecker@puentesno.org or 504 821 7228.

Become a Bilingual Evacuteer 

When a mandatory evacuation is called during a hurricane, the city of New Orleans activtes the City Assisted Evacuation Plan (CAEP) to evacuate those who cannot leave by themselves.  Evacuteers provide vital volunteer assistance to those who are using the CAEP, and bilingual evacuteers provide the added support of making the CAEP more accessible to non-English speakers.  Please consider joining the pool of Evacuteers, by emailing Rafael Delgadillo, rafael@puentesno.org, or by calling 504 821 7228 for more information.    

Our Volunteer Opportunities:

LatiNola Office Assistant:  Looking for a way to beat the summer heat, and get some volunteer hours in?  Come help LatiNola in the office with database management, hang out with the team, and enjoy our air conditioning!  Schedule is very flexible during regular business hours.  Please call Christina to set up a time: 504 821 7228. 

LatiNola Votes! Voter Registration:  Research shows that Latinos, especially young Latinos, could be a significant voting block, but many are not registered or do not vote.  Help us change this!  LatiNola wants to promote active citizenship among the Latino community.  This means that we want those who are eligible to be registered and voting!  LatiNola Votes volunteers will go to area events, promote voting, and register people.  This effort is completely non-partisan. 

Tutor Spanish at Warren Easton High School:  Did you know that LatiNola runs a youth developement initiative called the LatiNola Youth Leadership Council?  Some students in the high schools where we work are struggling with Spanish, and could really use you Spanish expertise to help them get the most out of their Spanish classes.  This volunteer opportunity includes tutoring and helping the Spanish teacher prepare for her lessons.  This is perfect for anyone interested in education or teaching, as you get both behind-the-scenes and classroom experience. 

Orleans Public Defenders: Orleans Public Defender is seeking volunteers to help with first appearances.  Bilingual not necessary.  Help with paperwork, call families, and support OPD staff. Great experience for someone who is interested learning about legal work!   

Mentors: Jefferson Community School is looking for mentors for their at risk students 12-16 years old in 6-8 grade. The mentor is expected to visit during school hours for a maximum of 30 minutes at least every other week. The schedule is very flexible. Aside from getting to know the student, mentors can play sports, bring them lunch, read a book together, etc. Cards and gifts can also be sent to the school for your student. Please note that the students are at risk and can use some attention, consistency, and just having someone who cares. Please inquire if interested and able to commit until the end of the school year (end of May).

Cultural Presentations at Workforce Development Sites:  If you want to get out in the community, work with young people, and teach, we have an exciting opportunity for you.  There are many workforce development sites in the city, such as Job Corps and LA Green Corps, that train young New Orleanians in career-building skills.  Many of these students are learning to work in fields where they will likely have Latino co-workers, yet they know very little about Latin American and Latino culture.  Be an ambassador of Latino culture by providing educational presentations to trainees at Job Corps and LA Green Corps, get them excited about Latino culture, and help them better understand and appreciate their Latino co-workers and neighbors.  Presentations can be creative, fun, and follow the interests of you and your students.  Trainees who have received these presentations in the past have been very engaged in the material, and educators at the sites are excited to have us.  The schedule will be once every week or every other week in the afternoons. 

Spanish Language Computer Lessons:  The Old City Building Center, located in Mid-City, has a computer lab to make available to the public.  This location presents an opportunity to provide computer classes to the Mid-City Latino population.  Volunteers will teach computer literacy classes in Spanish on internet, email, word processing, accessing online resources, etc.  This is a new program and volunteers will work with the OCBC director and LatiNola to start it, promote it, and make it a success.  If you speak Spanish, want to teach, or are interested in marketing or advertising, this will be a great project for you.   

Wage Claims Clinic Volunteer Training:  The Employment Rights Consortium holds a weekly wage claims clinic for workers who are denied wages.  Volunteers are needed to conduct client interviews, help draft demand letters, interpret (Spanish and Portuguese) for pro-bono attorneys, and advise workers of their rights (attorneys).  Volunteers are asked to attend a training, which will provide an introduction to the laws relevant to wage claims and go over how the wage claim clinic works.  The clinic takes place Thursday evenings.  If you are interested, contact Vanessa Spinazola: (504) 581-4043, extension 212 or vspinazola@probono-no.org.

New on LatiNola: Aquí Estamos Photo Blog!  Check out our pilot page and send in your photos- this is a great way for all of you to share with each other, and celebrate Latino culture in the Greater New Orleans Area.

Speakers’ Bureau:  LatiNola is recruiting people excited to be part of a new Speakers Bureau we are developing. Anyone interested in sharing their expertise or experience is encouraged to create a talk and join. One of the main audiences for these presentations will be local high school students involved with the LatiNola Youth Leadership Council, so we are particularly interested in people who can talk about something of interest to aspiring youth scholars and leaders in our community. The Speakers Bureau will serve to inform and inspire youth and to close the Latino opportunity and achievement gap in New Orleans. To learn more about the Speakers Bureau or to add your voice to our expertise pool, please email Laura Williamson at education@puentesno.org. 

NonPacc: Sit in on community meeting and wirte a summary on “what is going on” focusing on issues, concerns, questions, problems, etc regarding Latinos. There are 8 districts in Orleans Parish all of which have their own meeting each month. Weekdays/evenings.

COFFEE-MATE Volunteer Lay Health Educator- Teach uninsured and underinsured African-American, Latina, and Vietnamese women in your community about breast and cervical cancer screening, treatment, and prevention. Plan and deliver monthly educational sessions that promote screening and prevention. Help women access screening services in your community. 20 hours a month.

COFFEE-MATE Volunteer Patient Navigator- Help uninsured and underinsured African American, Latina, and Vietnamese women access follow-up and treatment services for an abnormal breast or cervical cancer screening. Collaborate with health service professionals and community groups to provide resources and support cancer patients. Develop and maintain a relationship with cancer patients to eliminate barriers to healthcare and ensure compliance with treatment and follow-up visits. 20 hours a month.

To sign up for one or more volunteer opportunities listed above please contact Christina Decker at cdecker@puentesno.org. For more information or to discuss an opportunity please call Christina at (504) 821 7228.