“Life’s most persistent and urgent question is ‘what are you doing for others?"

-Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Throughout American history, volunteers have stepped forward to serve the needs of others, strengthen our communities, and renew our confidence in humanity.  In doing so, volunteers inspire the people they help and they inspire others to serve.

Heartland Alliance volunteers serve others in a variety of ways; by sharing a smile and an encouraging word with a senior citizen, teaching English to refugees and non-native English speakers, instructing and instilling life skills to at-risk teenagers, counseling an individual impacted by HIV/AIDS, recruiting countless others to join in our human rights cause, and by simply giving unselfishly of their time and their talents.

If helping others is your passion, join us!

• Volunteer for a few hours, a day, a month, or a year -- let us help you find an opportunity that's right for you! Learn about some of our current volunteer opoprtunities. 
  
  
•  Already know you want to become a Heartland Alliance Volunteer? Sign up to receive more information!
  
  
•  If you would like to volunteer with Refugee & Immigrant Community Services (RICS), please fill out this application and return to Cherrell Jackson.
  
  
•  Want to know about internships at Heartland Alliance? Check out some of our current internship opportunities.
  
  
•  If you are interested in a possible internship at Heartland Alliance, please complete and return the application.
  

Volunteer Testimonial: David Goldberg

 Dr. David Goldberg has been a volunteer physician with the Heartland Alliance Marjorie Kovler Center for so long that he barely remembers how he got started. When the Kovler Center opened in 1987, David was there documenting the physical signs of torture, increasing access to health care for survivors, and recruiting colleagues to join him. Now in 2011, he continues to document torture for asylum claims and train physicians on how to conduct a trauma-informed physical exam. David has also developed a protocol at John Stroger Hospital to evaluate traumatic brain injury, common in so many survivors.

David recognizes the discrepancy that exists between the stories people tell about their scars and what the wounds describe. With a physician’s knowledge and inquiry, he helps a survivor describe not only the physical abuse but the harsh and extreme conditions that compound the wound. David states, “The wound is not just a wound but is linked to the extreme cruelty and harsh conditions. To make it believable to the judge, I have to enter into a dark, unbelievable story and describe it without hyperbole. It always blows me away when survivors thank me after we’ve gone through a grueling, retraumatizing forensic exam. When I get a call and am told that someone was granted asylum, I feel great!”

Heartland Alliance wishes to recognize and thank the many individuals and organizations who volunteered their time to help us fulfill our mission during 2011.