Ewan, a Volunteer for a Rainy Day

To say that Ewan Oglethorpe is making an impact as a ReEstablish Richmond volunteer is something of an understatement. Since attending volunteer training in November 2019, he has been actively contributing to various aspects of our work.

For his first volunteer task in December, Ewan offered his expertise in data management to support our staff. At a small, local non-profit like ReEstablish Richmond, sharing these professional skills to strengthen our internal processes means that our team has more time to focus on the direct services we provide to our clients. Next, motivated by his own experience of becoming an American citizen just last year, Ewan joined our Citizenship team to assist clients through the Naturalization process, helping them study for the citizenship test and prepare for in-person interviews. In January, Ewan answered our plea for drivers to enable our Arabic students to attend weekly learner’s permit classes. He even stayed to babysit a couple of times when we needed extra help with childcare.

In February, our staff received word that a client family needed to get to Norfolk for their biometrics appointment for their green cards. As new drivers, they were hesitant to drive such a long distance by themselves, and they asked if a ReEstablish Richmond volunteer would be willing to drive them in their vehicle. The appointment was early — it meant waking up at 4am to get there in time — and we knew it was a big ask. However, when we sent the request out, Ewan promptly responded that he would do it. Not only did he ensure the family was at USCIS on time that morning, but his friendly conversation along the way also helped calm their nerves. After the appointment, before heading home, Ewan took time to stop at the beach so the parents could look out at the ocean and the children could play in the sand.

These days when COVID-19 has turned ordinary challenges into crises, we have been relying heavily on volunteers like Ewan for support. This week he delivered bags of food to 6 families in need.

Ewan is the kind of volunteer you save for a rainy day, much like the days we are collectively living through now. Luckily for us, he is in really good company. ReEstablish Richmond volunteers continue to step up, not back, during this time. Even though our in-person programs are on pause, our volunteers are actively engaged — using technology to stay connected with clients, offering to help with emergency needs, and doing some exciting work behind-the-scenes as well.

Volunteers, like Ewan, bring a silver lining to our work, to our clients’ lives, and to our community during this health crisis.

This story is among a series of posts celebrating ReEstablish Richmond volunteers for National Volunteer Month.