AGUA (Accompaniment Group for Unity & Action)
AGUA volunteers require training and vetting.
Accompaniment
Take the AGUA Accompaniment training or the WAISN Accompaniment Training. See the Calendar page for the next training offered.
Detention Visits & Pen Pal Activities
Take the AGUA Detention Visits & Pen Pal training. See the Calendar page for the next training offered.
- Alternatively, contact AIDNW and receive their training on detention visits and/or becoming a pen pal for a detainee.
Education & Outreach (including Know Your Rights training)
Know Your Rights (KYR) Training
THISL Outreach coordinator will add you to appropriate Signal chat for Outreach work. This will allow you to plan activities with other volunteers if you choose to focus on a specific geographic area and/or occupation (e.g. trades or outdoor labor has its own group) and/or share best practices.
See the Calendar page for KYR (or Constitutional Observer) outreach training opportunities.
If THISL training is not available, you may also take WA Neighborhood Defense (WAND) training. If you have taken WAND training, your next step will be to reach out to the THISL Outreach coordinator (via the THISL email in the footer) to get details of how the materials or approach of THISL differs from that of WAND and to be vetted.
Rapid Response
Rapid Response volunteers require training and vetting.
Coordinator will add you to appropriate Signal chat(s) that includes notifications from WAISN hotline for our area of operation.Administrative or Miscellaneous/Project Work
Take the WAISN Rapid Response training. (This is scheduled each month and takes place online; occasionally THISL will hold in-person training; see the Events page).
Sign the WAISN Rapid Response agreement and submit the WAISN volunteer background check application
Wait (about a month) for the background check to be completed.
Meet with a THISL Rapid Response coordinator for additional local-specific instruction.
Administrative or Miscellaneous/Project Work
Below, find examples of administrative, miscellaneous or project work. This list is far from exhaustive.
- THISL occasionally provides security/de-escalation help for various events and/or clinics to support creation of family separation plans or other legal/necessary documentation.
- Bi-lingual speakers are especially needed for these types of events and if you are willing to be added to a contact list to assist in either of these ways, please contact us.
- Printing Outreach materials to restock supply for our KYR canvassers and/or trainers/tablers
- Applying for grants to support various needs; one example is below.
- The Immigrant Support Fund was created and is managed by the Faith Network for Immigrant Support in collaboration with Interfaith Works. It is intended to support community members living in Thurston, Mason, or Lewis counties who are at risk of detention and deportation.
Funds may be requested to reimburse groups directly supporting immigrant individuals and families. Reimbursements will generally be limited to $500 per request (you may submit more than one). We review funding requests twice monthly.
How to submit a request
Go to the Building Community | Interfaith Works page, scroll down and select the Immigrant Support Fund tile. You’ll see buttons at the bottom to make a donation, submit a request, and to view guidelines.
Requests may be approved to cover expenses such as:
Passports for children of undocumented parents;
USCIS filing fees needed to seek or maintain documented status;
parking, mileage and related costs of volunteers accompanying community members to court and similar;
outreach and training materials;
phone and food accounts for detained individuals;
initial attorney consultation; and
limited funding of basic needs (generally under $200) for families when a primary breadwinner has been detained.
- The Immigrant Support Fund was created and is managed by the Faith Network for Immigrant Support in collaboration with Interfaith Works. It is intended to support community members living in Thurston, Mason, or Lewis counties who are at risk of detention and deportation.
- Helping to maintain the website or the events calendar.
- Write – Strong letters can help show that a person should be released while their immigration case continues.